The Truth and What Matters More
by JustClem
Summary: Blake's feelings towards her partner have been growing for some time, but against all odds, she's kept it under wraps. All is well... until that fateful night where the White Fang mission went wrong. Where everything went wrong. Now, she has something else to keep under wraps. Something far deadlier.
1. The Smell of Danger

**Author's Notes:**

 **Welcome, fangirls and fanboys!**

 **And today, I am finally bringing you my newest story!** … **After almost a month of hyping it up.**

 **If I can be honest, I'm kind of scared. I've worked really hard on this story and I really,** _ **really**_ **don't want it to be a bust. Unlike the other stories I've written so far, this story actually has… well, a _story_ ; conflicts, stakes, developments, growth, all of that. So, um... please read it.**

 **Also, I should tell you that I'll handle the scheduling of this story a little differently than I handled my previous story (Fans and Girlfriends).** **You see, some of the chapters in this story are long, and some are... not. And the time and date I'll upload the next chapter is heavily linked to the length of the previous chapter.**

 **If the previous chapter is long (5k-6k words), then there'll be a 2-weeks gap before I post the next one.**

 **If the previous chapter is short (3k-4k words), then… you'll get the next chapter next week.**

 **This way, it'll be fair for both me, the writer, and you, the readers.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Beta:**

 ** _FeugoFox42._ Check out his work, they are amazing and are worth your time ^^**

* * *

 **CHAPTER I**

 **The Smell of Danger**

* * *

 _Why was she in such pain?! This- this wasn't any normal pain, she was sure of it! She'd taken far heavier hits before, and it still didn't hurt this much!_

 _No- This was- This was a foreign pain. And it- it didn't even come from the cuts or her head. It came from…_ within.

 **...**

Yang squinted her eyes as she looked through the binoculars.

A small, abandoned warehouse… at least it _looked_ abandoned with all of those cracked windows…

"Well… it looks like the White Fang might be in there…" she mused before pulling down the binocular, letting it dangle loosely around her neck, turning to look at her partner.

She scrunched up her face instantly. Blake was leaning against a tree, her coat swaying as her hands worked at her weapon.

She was counting her ammo _on_ their mission. That was unusual.

Blake always made sure that everything was prepared _before_ a mission so she wouldn't have to worry when she was in the middle of it. So why would she…?

 _Maybe she's just worried,_ the reasonable part of herself said. _This is the first partner-only mission we took; why wouldn't she take extra precautions?_

If Yang were being honest, she was scared too. For a first mission the two of them were assigned to, it was… a little extreme. She didn't know the exact details of it, worrying about the specifics was her partner's department, but…

It had something to do with the White Fang, and… _Maybe that's why Goodwitch gave us this mission…_ Yang's eyes drifted upwards, where Blake's bow used to be.

"The White Fang _is_ in there, Yang." She didn't need to look back at the faunus to know she was smirking a Cheshire smile.

Yang looked back down again. Without the binoculars, the supposedly-intimidating warehouse looked so small. In fact, all of the buildings looked small. She supposed that was how things looked like when you were on top of a hill.

Yang took a few steps forward, putting her hands on her hips and taking a big, long, satisfying breath, feeling a smile effortlessly crawling into her face.

"You know, despite this being a serious mission and all, I can't help but enjoy the view."

Maybe it was the lights shining from all the buildings around the dark city, creating a twinkle of light that reminded her of the stars.

Maybe it was the hill they were atop of, that made them see the night in a different light; a more beautiful, serene light.

"Me too."

Maybe it was the beautiful girl behind her, who stared at her right in the eye as she spoke, making Yang wonder - as her cheeks were tinted red - just what her partner had meant by that.

The breezy wind blew their face. Yang cursed and tried to fix her now messy hair, but stopped in her tracks when she heard a hiss leaving her partner's mouth.

Blake was, obviously, cold. Even after wearing a jacket, _and_ a scarf, _and_ a pair of gloves, it was night; Winter night. Her teeth chattered, her shoulders hunched forward as she vigorously hugged herself, making her appear smaller than she really was. Not to mention she had a slightly red nose.

Wordlessly, she took off her coat. She never needed it, the cold never bothered her anyway.

Blake opened her eyes with a start when she sensed someone draping something on her shoulders, but eased herself when it was just Yang, who was leaning down at her and was close. Very close. "Yang, what-"

"You'll get sick if you don't cover yourself."

Gentle fingers ghosted against her ribs. Blake watched as those blonde locks kept dangling in front of her, as those small puffs of air formed every time she released a breath.

"What about you?"

Yang's chuckle vibrated. "Blake, have you forgotten that I'm the human equivalent of a portable heater?" She hadn't. That didn't stop her from worrying. "I'll be fine, Blake. Really." The tone was softer, meant to ease her nerves.

Blake looked up at the girl who was only slightly taller than her and slowly nodded. The blonde quickly leaned back, clapping her hands together as she stood proudly, leaning her body weight onto one side. "Great!"

The faunus gripped the collar of the coat and pulled it closer to her, noting that it smelled like fresh lemons and peaches; like Yang.

"How did you know?"

Blake blinked and looked up. She had spaced out, it seemed. Guiltily, she asked, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Yang didn't seem offended or even concerned. She flashed her that familiar warm smile. "I asked how you were able to find this place. It's miles away from Beacon, after all."

"Sun."

Yang pressed her lips together. "You've been talking to him?"

Blake tilted her head as if it was a strange thing to ask. "He's my friend."

Yang's frustration bubbled, but she tried to let it go through letting out a deep breath, causing a puff of air to appear in front of her.

"Yang?"

"Nothing," she lied. "It's nothing…"

Yang gave Blake the binoculars. Her partner was the one with night vision, meaning no matter how well she could see at night, Blake could always see better.

She sat down on the grassy ground. Watching Blake fiddle with Gambol Shroud made her want to check and see if her _own_ weapon was armed and ready.

Yeah… That was what she was doing… That was what she wanted Blake to see; her blonde partner, goofing around, not at all thinking about the faunus in a non-platonic way…

Yang looked up at Blake. Those amber eyes were shining so brightly, so mysteriously. Her hair flew down majestically like a waterfall. Her skin was porcelain-pale and looked smooth… so smooth…

She regretted looking up.

 _She's your teammate._

Yang had always wanted to know what her lips tasted like, how it felt to run her fingers through the girl's dark tresses, to have their noses bumping each others'.

 _She's your partner._

To cuddle with her in bed. To be able to hear her heartbeat so closely. To be able to call Blake 'mine'.

 _She's your best friend._

Yang forcibly cocked back Ember Celica into their bracelet form. She didn't even know if the ammo were full. She didn't care, either. She let her back softly hit the ground… the grass tickled.

Her life had been going perfectly fine. They'd put Roman Torchwick behind bars for good, nobody had gotten hurt, and they'd had loads of fun in the tournament.

Everything seemed well…

If not for the fact that she harbored a massive crush on Blake Belladonna for who knew how long.

Yang draped one arm across her face, blocking her vision.

And it wasn't just _any_ crush either, it was the kind of crush that didn't go away for months. Even when she kept telling herself all the things that could go wrong with pursuing a relationship with her teammate _and_ best friend _and_ partner, the feelings stayed, if not, _grew._

And… honestly… she couldn't blame herself…

Why _wouldn't_ she like Blake? The girl was amazing in so many ways! She was super smart, she was mysterious, she was witty, she was sarcastic, and- just- _argh!_

It was hard not to like Blake that way…

Yang didn't realize what kind of feelings she had for Blake until it was too late.

Hell, with all the things that had been going on in her life, she was so busy she didn't even know _when_ she developed these feelings.

It just sort of… happened.

Yang undraped her arm, eyes widening when she saw Blake staring down at her, her chin lifted up in amusement. Her cheeks reddened. "What? It's late!" Blake smirked. Yang scowled. "Aren't we supposed to be kicking ass by now?"

Blake's smile faded and she looked away, glancing at the direction of the so-called suspicious warehouse. She had a poker face - the kind she wore on missions.

The time for jokes was over, it seemed.

"No, Goodwitch's orders were to find the base's location."

Yang stood up, crossing her arms, not because of the chill of the night.

"And…?" She raised an eyebrow expectantly, leaning forward ever-so-slightly.

Blake's eyes narrowed in focus - they looked like slits, giving her this… predatory vibe.

"The mission is to observe until we can confirm that this is the base of a small White Fang branch… then we report back immediately." Blake glanced over her shoulder and at Yang knowingly. "No explosions."

Yang pouted, her shoulders slumping. "Aww… man."

"No fighting, either."

Yang pouted harder. "Aww, Man!"

That just wasn't fair. What kind of a mission was this again?! And why should _she_ come if there were none of those stuff?!

"Otherwise, she'd send the entire team - maybe two."

That... was a good point.

"Ugh, fine." She shook away her frown when a - rather important - question popped into her head. "How do you suppose we do that?"

Yang tilted her head, curious. Blake hummed at her before answering, "We just have to confirm that the White Fang's been hiding in there."

Yang massaged her temples, still not quite understanding what all of _this_ was. She knew Blake loved to be mysterious and all, but sometimes she could be _too_ vague for her own good. "What? So, stuff like masks, or guns, or-"

Blake's ear flicked, her head snapped towards the warehouse. Yang followed her gaze soon after.

It was a little hard to see without the goggles and it being night, but the blonde could see that there were two silhouettes of people walking- no, _rushing_ into the entrance of the building.

"... Or two shady-looking dudes going inside the building." Yang cocked her head at her partner, asking, "That enough proof for ya?"

Now that she looked more closely, there were silhouettes of two people standing near the door, too.

Were they… _guarding_ the entrance?

Blake looked away, her face partly hidden within her scarf, revealing only her eyes. "No. We have to be able to confirm that it's the White Fang."

"Okay…" Yang's feet moved on their own. "Let's get inside then."

A hand grabbed her elbow, causing her to stop. She looked back, finding Blake's frightened gaze. "No, we can't, it might be too dangerous."

What? No, it wasn't. This was just a smaller, less dangerous branch of the White Fang, right? If they could handle the regular White Fangs, then they could definitely handle _these_ downgraded versions of them.

Blake's eyes found Yang's again.

A silent question was asked.

Blake looked at her pleadingly, biting her lip. She swallowed and shook her head again.

Lilac eyes widened as she realized… "You got a hunch."

Blake's hesitant nod confirmed it.

Yang's gaze flickered between the building and her partner, her brows furrowing more and more. It was stupid of Blake to think Yang would believe her, especially with nothing more than a gut feeling…

Yang nodded at Blake with steady eyes. "Fine. Then what will we do?"

Blake looked relieved that she was willing to give up so easily, but she recovered quickly, her face adopting familiar stern features.

"We wait."

There was another breeze, a stronger one. Blake didn't bat an eye and absent-mindedly tucked herself more into Yang's coat.

Yang tried not to make a big deal out of it.

 **...**

It took them some time to figure out where they could stalk - or, as Blake preferred to put it; observe - the potentially dangerous base.

In the end, they settled to wait in a small coffee shop right in front of the warehouse.

Yang had gawked at the idea, pointing out the part where it was _right in front of the (potentially) enemy's base_ , but Blake explained that no one could see their weapons - Blake's were strapped to her back and hidden underneath her coat, while Yang's were in her bracelet form - thus, they could pass as two girls hanging out late at night… nothing unusual.

Hiding in plain sight, basically.

Blake took a small sniff at the fabric that she was wearing. It smelled wonderful, just like Yang.

Yang…

Who had given her this coat without a second thought.

The brawler had always been kind to her, but then again, she was kind to everybody - always willing to lend a hand, putting others before herself.

Yang's kindness adored her, but… it also confused her.

More than once, she wondered if Yang was doing this just because she was nice or… maybe there was something _more_ …

 _Don't be ridiculous_ , the rational part of her mind had always chastized, reminding her that Yang was _Ruby Rose's_ sister, so she's bound to want to help others.

She wondered if Yang would've given the coat if it wasn't she who was freezing…

"Here."

She looked up from her seat, finding Yang holding two drinks, extending one towards her.

"But, the mission-"

Yang shook her head. "The mission won't matter when you catch hypothermia, now, will it?" Blake shot her a glare. She would _never_ catch such a disease so easily. She was a _huntress_. The brawler didn't cower at her glare, if anything, she looked amused. "Plus, aren't we supposed to blend in and look like two normal girls? What kind of teenagers go to a coffee shop and _not_ buy anything?"

Blake doubted the White Fang would care whether or not they ordered their drinks… but… the with the way Yang was looking at her now, so hopeful…

"Fine," she sighed, taking the cup and looking away when she saw her partner breaking into a grin.

Yang took a seat in front of her, sipping her own drink, while Blake looked through the window on her side, where she saw two people standing at the entrance of the door.

They were guards, even if they didn't look like much. The way they stood and jolted at every little sound confirmed it. They also hid their faces in their hoodie, so it was hard to tell what they looked like or even their gender and age or, most vitally, whether or not they were faunus.

The first time Yang had seen them, she'd quickly took a bunch of pictures, nodded as if she was proud of her work, then turned at Blake, declaring, "Okay! Mission over, let's go home so I can sleep in!"

Blake had argued that they couldn't just do that, and Yang had countered that they just did.

Blake had made a point that they could be _regular_ guards, taking care of a _regular_ building.

They needed more evidence, ones that were _concrete_. This was their responsibility.

Those points were what had put Yang to her senses. And now, here they were.

Blake took a sip from her drink, humming in delight when she realized this was Earl Grey tea; her favorite.

And, again, she had to wonder if this was just her partner trying to be a good friend or-

"So, what's so special about this branch?"

Blake swallowed her tea a little too quickly. "What?"

Yang scoffed and looked at her intently. Her partner was feigning innocence, and she didn't buy it.

"Oh, come on, don't give me that. If there's nothing special, then why are we miles away from Beacon?" They were practically on the outskirts of Vale. "You don't just travel this far if you just happen to hear about it." It would make sense if they were to start investigating someplace near Beacon, but nope! Here they were.

Yang might not be as smart as Blake or Weiss, but she was no idiot either.

She observed her side, through the window, at their supposed-mission.

"Something's up here. And you know why otherwise you won't be so worked up."

Blake looked away, unable to look at Yang and keep away her blush. She buried half of her face in her mug, not really drinking. "It… I'm not 'worked up'."

To her annoyance, Yang snorted. "Uh huh… _Sure_ you're not. And that's exactly why Goodwitch gave us - more specifically, you - this mission and not, like, oh, I don't know, _anybody_ _else_?"

There was no malice in her partner's words. Yang had never shown any malice, not when it came to her. There was only an acute observation, mixed in with the-ever-useful sarcasm.

Yang was fiddling with the straw as she drank her own drink. It smelled like a sort of soda…

"How did you find out?" she had to ask. "About me knowing this?"

Blake tried to look uninterested when Yang looked at her. She frowned when Yang raised an amused eyebrow at her.

The blonde chuckled, leaning forward. "You might have just found out about this place _now_ , but you've been worked up for the past few days. I haven't seen you read a book in, like, two days! And it's not just me- everyone knows, too." She looked down at her drink as she muttered, "Come to think of it, maybe that's why Glynda assigned us on this mission…"

Blake could only gawk at her… She _had_ been researching and trying to find more about this base for a couple of days. She'd made sure not to let it become an obsession like last time too, to not forget to eat and sleep and interact with her friends…

Yet still… Everyone knew…

Blake… wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Yang grinned at her triumphantly. "So, spill the beans."

Blake's ears perked up as she stared at Yang's challenging eye, making sure that absolutely _no one_ was eavesdropping on her.

Only when she was certain did she begin by saying, "The White Fang is dangerous-"

Yang laughed but winced when she was being glared at. "Sorry, it- just- … sorry."

Blake's glare stayed for a couple of seconds before she gave with a sigh.

"... They're dangerous, but, as vague and twisted as they may be they have limits. They don't just _do_ crime anymore." Now _that_ certainly caught Yang's attention. "After what happened at the Breach, they've learned their lesson, I think."

Yang blinked once. Twice. She gripped her drink a little tighter. "Lesson?"

Blake looked at her with no hesitation. "To not be reckless. To not try to follow just any man - but those who earned their leadership." She took a sip of the drink. Yang did too and tried not to worry too much about her partner. "For the past few months," Blake continued, "their activities have actually gone less aggressive, and more predictable…"

Blake knowingly looked to her side.

The pieces were put together.

"... Except for this branch," she realized with wide eyes, her grip slackening.

Blake nodded at her again, but then her eyes widened and she looked at the side. Yang did so as well.

Her eyes narrowed.

The two guards were standing near each other. One of them was communicating through the walkie-talkie while the other listened.

Yang turned to Blake, wondering, "Can you hear what they're saying?"

A dejected shake of the head answered her question.

Yang bit her lip again as she saw the first guard putting back the device in his pocket before they both stayed guard again, returning to their original position.

 _Yeah… like that wasn't suspicious._

She turned to her partner again, who looked to be deep in thought.

"You were saying?"

Blake blinked a couple of times as if pulled away from a trance. She looked at Yang sheepishly and uttered a small "right" before straightening her posture. "This branch is different. _Too_ different. They've strayed too much from the White Fang that they themselves don't want anything to do with it. And... it's not just that…"

Yang had to ask. "What else is there?"

Blake pulled out her scroll, playing with it before she gave it to Yang. The screen was filled with a profile of a faunus woman who looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties. But that wasn't what caught her attention.

No, it was the big bold letters attached to the picture; Missing, it said.

"This. This is what's different." Yang slid the screen and, to her horror, it was another missing faunus. She slid it again, and again, and again, and there were more missing faunus. "The White Fang don't normally recruit middle-aged faunus, especially not those with no fighting experience whatsoever."

Yang momentarily looked away from her partner's scroll to look at the owner, giving her a nervous grin and a raised eyebrow.

"Err, I didn't realize there was an age limit."

Blake shook her head vehemently. "No, you don't understand. Age _does_ come into factor in regards to recruitment. Younger people tend to be fueled with more passion, more energy, more hatred, so it's-"

"-easier to get _them_ to join," Yang finished.

A distant but loud yell caught their attention. Looking at the targeted place, they found that one of the guards were yelling at the other, before they stormed into the place, leaving the other guard alone.

Yang swallowed, wondering what the guard could've been furious about.

"This… This is just normal people." Yang looked back to her partner, frowning at how sad and resigned she looked. Her drink was cold and abandoned, and she looked into nothingness, eyes gazing down at her lap. "Why would they want to recruit civilians? Better yet - why would _civilians_ want to join the White Fang? These people have jobs, families… Why would they…?"

Yang was tense as she gazed down on her partner's scroll. All of these faunus… It didn't make sense.

"That is weird…" she mused, catching Blake's eyes when she gave the scroll back. "So we're not just dealing with the White Fang - we're dealing with this weirder branch of it, the branch that the White Fang itself… hates, I guess."

Blake winced at the oversimplification, stiffly nodding. "That's… one way to put it…"

Yang leaned back, taking a small sip of her drink before rubbing her chin as the gears in her head turned. Blake smirked at the cute pout the brawler adopted as she was thinking, but it vanished when Yang drew her own conclusion.

"But the branch is small, _too_ small for it to be considered a serious threat, hence why Glynda wants us and only us to investigate. If this were the real White Fang, she'd have sent, like, dozens of professional huntsmen."

Silence enveloped the table for quite a while, the reality of the situation dawning on the blonde, at last.

Suddenly, Yang barked a laugh, startling the cat faunus.

"What?"

The blonde shook her head and held out her two hands, showing that she meant no offense. "It's just- can't believe you managed to figure this out all on your own." Yang leaned close, eyes twinkling in delight as she smiled that gorgeous smile. "Like, you're insanely genius, Blakey!"

Blake's mouth was dry and her heart was beating so fast.

She tried not to think about how proud and happy Yang looked when speaking about her as if her words were the truth. One that she seemed to be proud of.

She tried not to think of the fondness emanating from Yang when she called her name and muttered, "Sun helped…"

Yang's smile faded slightly, but before Blake could think more of it, she flashed her an even brighter grin.

"Yeah. With finding out _where_ the base is. Figuring out that there _is_ a base in the first place, though - that was all you." Yang chuckled, taking a sip of her drink as she shook her head. "What'd I do without you, Blakey?"

"You'd do fine, Yang, stop doubting yourself too much," she chastised with a light scowl. It disappeared when she looked up thoughtfully. "And… It's not all that hard… You just have to know where to ask. And how to ask the right questions to the right people. They won't just speak if you blatantly ask where the enemy's hiding - but if you ask questions such as 'Has there been any recent people missing?' or 'Has there been any rumors regarding the enemy?', you might get the answer you're looking for. And you have to get to know the area to know where they could possibly hide."

Yang, who had been listening intently in awe and admiration, perked up at one detail of Blake's speech. "You _know_ this area?" Awe and admiration were replaced by disbelief and a sense of overprotectiveness.

Blake gave her a sly, knowing look. "That's where Sun helped."

"Ah." Yang blinked, then tilted her head to the side. She looked like an adorable child. "Yeah, I only got, like, half of it-" she broke into an adorably happy grin "-but thanks for the lesson, Miss Belladonna!"

Blake gave a grin of her own and opened her mouth to retort-

There were loud noises. Shouts and yells and the sounds of something heavy falling.

The last guard rushed into the source of all that noise.

They all came from the warehouse.

They found each others' eyes, each filled with a sense of dread, fear, but most of all…

Determination.

It was Yang who spoke first.

"Think it's a good idea to get in _now_?"

 **...**

 _She leaned forward, squinting her eyes at the reflection disbelievingly._

No… No, that- that can't be…

But it's- it's there…

No, no, I must be dreaming…

 _She pinched her cheek. Nothing happened._

What-? But… How…

This- This must be some kind of joke-

There's no way- No fucking way…

 _But it was no joke, and she knew that._

This… This is real…

 _What she was seeing through her reflection…_

 _What was swishing back and forth rapidly - almost nervously - behind her…_

 _Something that wasn't there before, not before that overwhelming pain…_

A tail.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 **News:**

 **Hey everyone! Do you want to read the next chapter now and support me with my writing at the same time? If not, then that's alright! If so, then thank you and please check out my site:**

 **P a treon . com (slash) ClementineDavidson**

 **I promise it's not unreasonably expensive.**

 **I know my current page isn't that amazing, but I'm only starting out and… well… I'd love for you to help me reach my goal so I can write stories as not just a hobby :)**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **If you're still here right now, then wow, you've read the first chapter... thanks!**

 **Yeah, it's long for a first chapter (4.200 words), but it's necessary. I want to start this story off with a bang (or should I say with a Yang?). No playing around. I have a story I want to tell, but before that, I need to build off the _fundamentals_ of the story itself, the important aspects of it. I showed you the timeline of this slight-AU (where the shitstorm that is Volume 3 never happened).**

 **Overall, I think this is a good first chapter. I've shown you the "outer plot" (surrounding the White Fang) and the "inner plot" (Blake and Yang's feelings towards each other).**

 **It's a healthy balance between romance and progression, don't you think?**

 **This isn't really a mystery/suspenseful story, though it may seem like it at first. The "mystery" surrounding the White Fang base** _ **does**_ **play a huge part in my story, at the end of it, it's really about Yang and Blake at the very core of it.**

 **I intentionally made it unclear _when_ they started to fall for each other. Crushes are like that, especially with close friends; you don't know it's been building up until it's too late. It's up to your interpretations. **

**This isn't the story about two girls falling in love with each other - I'm sure we've all read too many stories of that concept. This is the story of two girls who are** _ **already**_ **in love with each other and are figuring out how to handle their feelings.**

 **The next chapter has Blake and Yang learning something they should never have learned~ (ooh, spooky~). There'll be action, not to mention suspense. Oh, and comedy, I think.**

 **So… What are your thoughts? This story is currently my biggest project. I'm not lying when I said I've worked hard on this. Currently, I'm working on Chapter 11 of this story and I don't think it's nearly done yet.**

 **I'm open to criticism ^^ a writer can never stop improving, after all.**

 **See you all next week (or the week after that, I haven't really decided yet!)**


	2. Love Potion No 9

**Author's Notes:**

 **Holy crap, I cannot believe how popular this story is. I mean, 30+ followers with only _one_ chapter?! Who could've guessed?! Like, no, really. Thanks so much, everyone! I'm glad you're liking how things are panning out so far. To be honest I was kind of scared with how you'll all take it. The first chapter really is... "intense", for a lack of a better word. It starts off with a bang, and it ends with a cliffhanger-ish bang, and it's the exact opposite of the kind of stories I'm used to writing.**

 **This chapter is important to the main story (Well, all of the chapters are important to the story, I wouldn't put them in the story if they weren't), but this one's vital (pun intended). It shows more of what's going on "behind the curtains". I don't think it's anything special, really (the mysteries of the base, I mean).**

 **PS, the title of this chapter is actually one of my beta's recommendations when naming this story. So... thanks, Foxy!**

* * *

 **Beta:**

 ** _FeugoFox42._ Check out his work, they are amazing and are worth your time ^^**

* * *

 **CHAPTER II**

 **Love Potion No. 9**

* * *

Her landing was safe and soundless as she jumped through the window. When her feet touched the platform, she lowered her body into a crouch. She couldn't afford to have anyone see her, after all.

One would think that jumping into a building like this was insane and dangerous, but when the only other way of getting inside was through a guarded front door… you really had no choice.

Blake's eyes squinted as she tilted her head to look back on the window again, catching the distinctive figure of her partner - the thick mane that glowed in the night sky couldn't have belonged to anyone else and the choice of outfit that was too revealing for the frosty weather.

She motioned for Yang to come forward.

Yang gave a thumbs-up for the world to see.

 _Shit._ Worried, Blake peeked down at the entrance. _If they see her…_

She sighed when none of the guards looked up at either she or her partner.

 _Well… we are pretty high up._ They were in the upper level of the warehouse, close to being an attic, even.

Blake knew that Yang wasn't stupid - she got into Beacon off her own merit, that had to count for _something_ \- but she did have a tendency to lean towards the slightly more 'showy' entrances as opposed to the more favorable and practical one, even when she didn't want to…

Blake moved aside when the blonde took comically large steps back. Her ears picked up the sound of running footsteps… which was then replaced by a faint but noticeable sound of a high-pitch shriek of a teenage girl as Yang leaped.

A figure burst through the window, and, with the swiftness of a ninja, Blake caught her partner by the jacket before she fell, grunting and gripping the heavy girl with all her might.

Yang almost screeched again when she saw just _how fucking high up they were_ and the fact that _she almost fucking fell fifty or so feet down_ and only managed to clamp her mouth shut out of sheer fear of being found out.

She waited for the eventual pain that would come… and blinked her eyes open when it never came.

She found a pair of struggling amber eyes.

"Oh… Blake… Did you… Did you land on your feet?" Yang was shoved away. Thankfully, she managed to regain her balance and _not_ fall, this time. Blake was unimpressed by her totally _awesome_ joke, it seemed. "Thanks for catching me, though," she tried with her charming grin. Her response was a glare and a roll of the eyes.

 _Heh,_ she thought. _What a grumpy kitty…_

 _Wait, is that discriminatory…?_

 _I'll probs ask someone about it._

… _I should really pay attention before Blake does something reckless again._

"So, what's the verdict, doc?" she joked as she walked towards Blake, who was crouching, looking down to where a bunch of people were talking loudly to one another.

Yang's eyes widened.

Weapons were being placed on the tables. Some were held. And they all had one thing in common; they were all Faunus and they wore white masks with red stripes.

 _They're… They're the White Fang… Oh, shit,_ Yang quickly fished out her Scroll, taking a bunch of pictures and sending it to Goodwitch alongside their location with no hesitation.

Yang took a few silent steps, trying to look more closely.

Though she had neither night vision or superb hearing, she could clearly see one of the shelves lying down on the floor, and hear the hushed, upset whispers between each member.

There were a total of ten, maybe fifteen of them. And they seemed to be in distress.

"What do you think they're arguing about?" Yang asked, staring levelly at her partner.

Blake's eyes narrowed in thought and in more - in something the blonde didn't like. "I… I'm not sure…"

Seconds ticked by. Blake didn't make a move to retreat. She kept observing the organization. The organization she used to be a part of. The organization she'd been struggling to find for days. The organization she wanted to know _more_ about…

A pit of dread grew in Yang's stomach.

"Blake…? We're done here, right?"

Blake couldn't answer. How could she? This was- This was something different, and potentially dangerous. She _needed_ to know what this was. Why were they shouting? What had caused the shelf to go down? Did something happen? If so, then what?

Thousands of questions lingered in her head, clouding everything else. She knew the kinds of danger curiosity could lead to, but…

This was the White Fang. Or worse, this was an organization _using_ the White Fang's name to do things that… that…

They had weapons. They were faunus. But they _weren't_ the White Fang…

They were…

They were something _worse_ …

She needed to find out. She _had_ to.

"Fine… Let's do this."

Blake snapped her head to look at her partner, aghast. "Wait, what?"

Yang was indifferent. She wore a half-smirk and shrugged almost helplessly. "What? You have that face, that one where you're in the 'Blake Zone'." She blinked at the weird phrasing. Yang laughed. "You obviously want to find out more about what these guys are up to."

Blake blinked again, her bow-less ears twitching almost rapidly in confusion.

"You're... not gonna try and stop me?"

Yang leaned back and looked up. "It wouldn't work anyway," she said in a low whisper. "Plus," she turned to Blake, pumping her fists together, wearing that all-too-familiar confident grin, "you know how much I've been itching for a good fight. This'll be a good way for me to blow off some steam _if_ we end up fighting."

Yang's confidence increased when Blake gave her that trusting smile. Her heartbeat also increased - in speed - when her partner put her hand on her shoulder, squeezing it a little.

"Thank you, Yang."

Yang pretended not to be flustered and waved a hand carelessly. "Yeah, yeah." Her smirk returned, one that managed to be carefree _and_ serious. "So, what do you need?"

Blake observed her situation.

It would be nearly impossible for her to sneak in with that many guards cramped up in a rather small place… even if no one would see her, _there still begs the question of what it is I'm looking for exactly…_

Yang watched as the gears in Blake turned.

Suddenly, amber eyes lit up and even before Blake spoke, Yang knew she had an objective and a plan in mind.

"A distraction."

 **...**

The guards stopped their whisperings when they heard a noise coming from the outside. One that sounded like it belonged to a teenage girl.

"Hello? Is anyone there? Please, I need help. I'm lost."

They blinked and looked at each other, suspicions growing. This place was abandoned to the public eye, why would anyone try to look for _people_ here?

When the girl shouted more and more "Please"s and "Help"s, they realized they needed to confront this… nuisance.

They sent two of their men outside the entrance, raising their respective eyebrows at the peculiar sight of a girl with wild yellow hair wearing a large coat that covered her body. They scowled when she realized she was a human.

Of course, only a human would be dumb enough to try to step foot into this place…

They, members of a deadly, _human-hating_ organization, had found a lost girl in a place where no one would hear or see them.

If there was one word they'd use to describe this girl… it would be helpless.

One of them - the bigger, older one who was a bear faunus - stuck an intimidating pose and grunted, "You shouldn't be here, Kid. This is private property."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "I thought this place was abandoned." The two of them narrowed their eyes. _Stuck-up human._ The human girl winced from their _deadly_ gazes. "Oh, umm, this is gonna sound sorta... weird, but… can I... crash here for a while?"

The bear yelled a roaring "What?!" while the other - a rabbit faunus - could only stare at her with a hanging jaw, his large ears twitching. _Just who is she?_

The human winced harder. "Yeah, my sister and I are orphans, so we don't have any food or drinks or shelter, so can I stay here for the night?"

Was… was that supposed to make them sympathetic for this low-life human?

The other members began to surround them, wanting to be a spectacle of this unusual interaction.

"What about your sister?" the bear member asked, suspicious.

"Oh, don't worry about it, she's at Beac- dead!" she suddenly snapped, startling the two of them a little. "Yeah! She's dead! It's just me, all alone, with no sister! There is no sister! Or partner!"

"Wait- partner?"

"Exactly!" The human nodded quite vigorously. "No partner! Unless…" She turned towards the younger guard, eyes gleaming with a sense of knowing as she leaned towards him. He could only stare at her and notice just how hot she was… for a human. "Unless you want me to be your partner?... Just for the night?"

It took all of his willpower to keep himself from saying "Hell yeah!"

The older guard rolled his eyes and scoffed disgustedly. He then realized that… she posed no harm. She was just a helpless human girl. She wouldn't try anything, much less in a place _filled_ with their kind. The other faunus obviously wanted to do things with her, as well…

"... Fine. You can stay." Not like it _mattered_ anymore. Not like anybody _cared_ anymore. He grabbed her by the collar, pulling her much shorter body up so she could look at him dead in the eyes. "But if you tell _anyone_ about us, you're _dead_."

There was no ounce of fear in the girl's lilac eyes, yet she creased her brow and whimpered, "Oh, oh no, that is scary…I am… scared shitless…"

Oh, he _really_ hated this human.

 **...**

Luckily, the cold wasn't so bad indoors. Blake hadn't shivered once, even though she wasn't wearing Yang's coat.

She missed the soft and cozy fabric of her partner's coat, but as reluctant as she was to give it back, she knew it was the right thing to do; Yang needed to hide her bracelets _and_ the fact that she was immune to the cold due to her semblance, and wearing a cloak would do just that.

Plus, Yang's outfit was too... _revealing_ to have looked normal…

Blake scoffed when she heard Yang using a more high-pitched, squeaky, weak voice.

 _You're overdoing it, Yang._

How had she had come across such a dramatic partner, again? Worst of all; how had she come to like her?

But the distraction worked - as crazy at it seemed - and that was all that mattered… in fact, the distraction worked _really_ well when half of the members walked outside to check for the commotion, leaving only six or so guards.

She shook her head. _Yang, you beautiful, reckless idiot._

Blake made no sound as she slipped through the shelves and corridors, using her surroundings to mask her shelves.

Blake didn't move around the shadows.

She _was_ the shadow.

With so few guards actually being inside of the building, and all of their focus distracted by the odd blonde human who insisted she stayed at this dangerous place filled with criminals, it was easy for her to get to her objective:

What _might_ be considered a secret door if it wasn't so badly-hidden.

Nonetheless, doors that were intended to be hidden meant that they had things to hide.

Secrets.

And Blake intended to find it all out.

She opened the door - relieved that it wasn't locked - but failed to take a step. Not yet.

She wanted to make sure her partner was alright first before she went in.

To her relief, Yang was doing fine. Sort of. Her partner was… improvising. The other guards didn't seem to believe her story… but they weren't suspicious either, not really. They were all just confused. And she supposed it was better than suspicion.

Her eyes widened when Yang leaned towards one of the guards suggestively, smirking in a way that promised indecency.

Her heart ached and her body burned. Blake gritted her teeth but forced herself to calm down and look at the reality of the situation. She was in the middle of a mission. She had no time for this… _whatever this is._

 _It's only part of the distraction,_ she told herself realistically. _Nothing more._

After all, as flirtatious as Yang could be at times, even she had standards. Blake knew for a fact that criminals were obviously beneath those standards.

Blake gulped and fully opened the door, revealing stairs that led down into the abyss.

She took one soundless step. Then another. Then another.

 _Down to the rabbit hole, we go._

Even her night vision didn't allow her to see as clearly as she'd liked. The stairs never stopped appearing. She was going further down than she'd liked. It scared her.

And then it was no longer pitch black.

She had arrived in some kind of large basement… There were barely any lamps, and they all shone such dim lighting. Blake squinted her eyes, trying to find out exactly what she was looking at-

Blake covered her nose with her hand, not able to suppress her groan of distaste at that _awful_ smell. It was faint, so faint that no humans would be able to smell it. But, unfortunately for her, she was no human.

 _What even is that smell?_ For the life of her, she had never picked up on such… _weirdness._

But then her disgust was swept away… replaced by something far worse…

Blake had found the missing faunus…

And they…

They were _locked up in prison cells._

"What…?"

 **...**

Now that Yang was inside, the scary, abandoned warehouse didn't seem so scary at all… nor did it even looked abandoned.

While she wouldn't call it spotless, it did look well-maintained.

This place reminded her of Beacon's training grounds, with weapons lined up, ready to be used. There were a couple of different-sized target practices, and punching dummies as well.

She had to wonder; was this what _every_ criminal base looked like?

… She then erased that question from her head, _praying_ that she'd never find out.

Though she had to admit, it was interesting to see how the White Fang behaved when they weren't trying to beat her to death.

Most of them were simply… talking or just… chilling.

 _Focus on the mission,_ the more responsible part of her spoke. _Try and find out exactly what these guys are up to._

The only thing she knew was that something had happened that had caused the shelf to drop down. And that could've been caused by anything ranging from a large, terrifying weapon or a member who'd thrown a tantrum.

She turned towards one of the members - it was the bear faunus from before - and asked, "So… what are you guys doing here, anyway?"

He didn't bother looking at her. "Quiet."

"Hey now, it's just a question."

Now he turned to look at her, and _boy_ did he look pissed. "A question you shouldn't be asking," he growled out, puffing out his chest in a weak attempt to look intimidating.

 _Puh-leez, I could beat you up without breaking a sweat. But that's not what Blake wants me to do… Dammit._

Yang pretended to be frightened and scooted away from him, less out of fear and more out of not wanting to cause a scene.

She was here to investigate, not create a ruckus… even when all of these dudes were criminals who _deserved_ to be beaten up…

After aimlessly walking around - and attempting not to glare back at the members who glared at her - she found one member who she knew didn't hate her as much as the others did; the rabbit she'd flirted with.

Bingo!

If anyone could tell her anything, _it's gotta be him! He's the guy!_

She faked nonchalance as she put her hands in her pockets, leaning towards him and wearing a smile too sweet to be genuine. She fluttered her eyelashes and asked, "Did something happen?" She gestured towards the shelf.

She tried to pretend like she didn't know he was staring at her chest and was sleazily grinning at it.

"It's… complicated."

She cocked her head to the side, leaning even more, brushing her own fingers against his. "You know you can tell me about it, right?"

… _Blech._ She _seriously_ hoped all of this was worth it.

"It's just… One of us couldn't take it anymore."

"Take what anymore?" _C'mon, give me something useful here._ When he didn't answer, she prodded even more. "This can't be nothing. I mean, even _I_ can't just drop a shelf like that." She quickly realized her mistake and fixed it. "And I'm sure even one of your strongest guys couldn't lift it."

With aura, maybe they could. But… She was confident none of these guys had an unlocked aura, and even so, it was still a big 'maybe'.

The problem wasn't just that the shelf was lying down horizontally, it was that there were still things being stacked up in the shelf… 'Things' being copper, steel; all sorts of metal objects. Heavy objects. And they were _still_ inside the shelf.

She wasn't kidding when she said she wasn't strong enough to do such a thing.

This… This meant that there was someone _right here_ \- or maybe some _thing_ \- who was stronger than her. _Much_ stronger. And she was starting to regret wanting to help out with one of her partner's shenanigans and coming here in the first place-

Yang caught something out of her peripheral vision.

"Hey… What is that?" she murmured, walking closer towards the shelf, seeing that 'something' becoming clearer and clearer.

"It's nothing," someone warned, but she didn't listen, she didn't care-

Yang stopped.

Three lines, etched on the outer end of it, heavily _denting_ the metal to the point of no repair.

"Holy shit- is that a fucking-"

"That's it!"

Yang was being lifted up again. It was the bear faunus from before. She told herself to _not make a scene, don't make a fucking scene or else this will all be over_ no matter how much she wanted to beat him to death.

She really wanted to punch him in the face. Or kick him in the ass. Either worked.

"Hey, c'mon dude, she-"

"Why the hell are we keeping her here, anyway?!" he growled out.

"You know why!" the rabbit answered calmly despite the heat of the situation.

 _Yay. My hero._

"Fine, but if anything goes wrong-"

"Then I'll kill her."

… _Hey, what the hell, Hero?!_

Yang clamped her mouth shut and fought to keep her eyes from glowing red as the asshole strode away.

 _Pssh, he doesn't matter anyway. No one in this place does._

And they never would.

The real danger wasn't that they would kill her. These douches wouldn't lay a finger on her.

No. It wasn't them.

It was…

It was the claw mark she'd found on the shelf.

 _The claw mark…_

Blake had told her this particular branch was shadier than the rest, more unpredictable, and, potentially, more dangerous...

 _Just…_

 _Just what have we gotten ourselves into, Blake?_

But as much as she hated to admit it, Yang had done her part, and now all she had to do was wait for Blake. Wait for what, exactly? She herself didn't even know.

 _Dammit!_

Yang wanted to call for help, but with all of these people watching her, and the potential of Blake being caught and getting dragged to whatever had caused that huge claw mark… she couldn't take that chance.

She couldn't take any chance other than to sit and wait and look pretty.

… _Double dammit!_

 **...**

"Hey! Wake up!"

Blake rattled the bars, cursing when none of them stirred.

She'd checked, and she was correct; they were the missing faunus. No doubt about it. Their profiles matched. Each and every one of them.

 _But why are they being locked up in here? This doesn't make any sense!_

Her ears picked up murmurings from somewhere behind her. They were still far, but she only had a few seconds if she wanted to hide again.

She considered using her weapon to slash off the bars, but that would make too much noise, and she couldn't afford to make any noise that could be heard by anyone other than her. She had to _stay_ quiet until she had a solid plan. And, right now, she had none other than to freak out.

The prisoners were unwell. She could tell they hadn't eaten or drank or gotten sunlight enough because it showed. It was hard to see in this lighting, but she knew their skin was pale and they were sweating despite the weather. Bones began to poke out of their ribs…

Blake wasn't sure if they'd make the night… It was cold and- and even _she_ couldn't handle the weather…

She needed to get them out.

 _Now._

"I apologize for letting one of our test subjects escape."

Blake's heart skipped a beat, but that was her only delay. In a blur of black, she hid in one of the corners, blending in, _becoming_ the darkness.

"She hardly escaped," another voice rang out.

The footsteps grew louder and louder. So did Blake's heartbeat.

She saw the shadows first.

Then, it was the familiar mask of white and red.

Then, she saw the rest.

Two people walked, one following the other. The follower was a dog faunus who wore the same uniform as the other White Fang member.

He didn't catch her attention.

The other one did.

The fox faunus.

Unlike the rest, he didn't wear a White Fang suit. He wore a lab coat.

There was something… off about him. Something within his aura that made Blake knew that _he_ was the one in charge. That _he_ was the leader of this branch. That, whatever twisted, _sick_ things that they were doing, _he_ was the one who suggested the idea…

"But you're right," the fox continued, walking towards the cell as the other stopped walking. He stopped as well when he was near the bar, sliding his fingers against the old bars. "We need to upgrade our security, and… we can't raise any suspicions either. No noise should escape this warehouse. We can't afford to relocate our base, not with what we're bringing."

That last part raised all kinds of alarms in Blake's head.

She tried to search for her Scroll - just to know if it was _right here with her_ and that she could call for help at _any given moment_ \- and sighed when she felt its weight.

She… She wasn't alone in this. Yang was right here with her, even when she was technically above her.

"Of course, Sir."

The fox turned, and for a brief moment, his gaze was directed at where she was hiding. Right into her eyes. And those coal black eyes narrowed.

Her heart didn't beat and she couldn't breathe.

Yet he acted like nothing was wrong as he regarded the other faunus, his back against the bars of the prison, unbothered by what was in it.

"Something troubles you." It wasn't a question.

The dog shifted. "I… fear one of our own has ratted us out or is close to doing so. You see, the more we experimented, the more they became… fearful. Fearful of what we're trying to create. At first, I thought nothing of it. But it has become increasingly hard not to notice their distress."

Experimented. Fearful. Create.

These words pounded in Blake's head.

The fox sighed and massaged his temples. He didn't look upset. In fact, he looked almost… resigned.

"I see… Well, I shall have a talk with each of them personally. For now, gather all of our brothers. I want them to have no fear, and to state explicitly that the subject did not escape. They have nothing to worry about. And we are one step closer to achieving our goal."

"Of course, Sir."

The dog faunus left.

Blake's breathing became heavier as she considered her options - weighing them and the consequences.

This- This _wasn't_ what she wanted. This wasn't what she'd expected. She'd expected weapons. Illegal and highly dangerous weapons that would be used against the public, not _faunus being kidnapped and used as test subjects for Dust-knows-what!_ No. No. She- she wasn't ready for this.

She could just call Professor Goodwitch - her professor, along with the more experienced Huntsmen and Huntresses, would know what to do! And she and Yang could just get _out_ of here! It was the safer option. It was- It was the right option.

"Huntress," the fox spoke, and everything slowed down, "I know you-"

Blake moved.

She cast a shadow clone that drew her weapon and attacked. He, as expected, tried to block it with his bare arms out of instinct. The clone disappeared, and the real her was at his right, her arms that held Gambol moving-

-only to double over as he delivered a swift kick to her stomach.

She jumped back far away before he could land another hit.

They stood face-to-face, their distance preventing them from being able to attack each other.

The situation dawned on her.

She had been caught.

 _No…_

This man, whoever he was, must be experienced. It was hard to read him due to her own distress.

Maybe he wasn't as strong as her or as fast, but Blake knew he must have _some_ form of combat experience, otherwise, he wouldn't pose such a threat and be able to lead.

Blake's thoughts were jumbled and inconsistent.

Her eyes darted back to the prisoners, the innocent faunus who never wanted this, who was… who was _experimented on_ like- like _animals_ …

Blake needed a key to let them out. She didn't have one. But he did.

"Let them go."

Civilly negotiating with an enemy wasn't something she was fond of, but it had to be done. The prisoners were her priority, not him.

These people… They weren't fed properly, if at all. But more than that they were experimented on, and… whatever it was that was being pumped into their system… it needed to be flushed out. As soon as possible. _Before it's too late._

The awful smell… Blake only now realized it came from the man in front of her, on the small bag he held. Whatever was in that bag… it was dangerous.

They needed help.

Getting them - and she herself along with Yang - out was the smart move, not fighting him.

The fox caught her eye and grinned.

Then, he fished an object out of his pockets; a key.

Blake meekly gasped, the grip of her weapon loosening as her shoulders slumped just a little.

His grin grew.

He put back the key. "No can do. They're _mine_."

She burned with rage but kept it all away, knowing that getting emotional in this type of situation would _never_ do any good. She swallowed, looked at the prisoners as her brows furrowed before staring at him again. "What the hell are you even doing to them?!"

He was unfazed. "Nothing bad."

"Nothing bad?!" she echoed incredulously. "They're unconscious! And they're going to die if you keep pumping up drugs in their system! What is wrong with you!? Why are you doing this to our own _kind_?!"

The smug grin was wiped off from his face. He looked offended. "I'm trying to make us stronger, faster, _better._ " Even though he looked and talked in a calm manner, Blake knew he was anything but.

Blake's eyes narrowed into slits. The rage burned inside her, but this time, _she let it_.

Negotiating was no longer an option. Even if it still was… she didn't want to take it. Not with someone like _him._

"You're insane," she hissed.

His eyes narrowed as he took a fighting stance akin to boxing.

The hands clutching her weapon tightened.

He smirked, mocking her.

And…

They began.

It was Blake who moved first, summoning another clone to 'attack' him, then two more, just to throw him off-guard. They danced around him, throwing punches and kicks which he avoided.

The clones were meant to disorientate him and they did.

He aimlessly punched and kicked, wanting to take any chance of hitting her who he assumed was the real her. But they all avoided his every attack.

The real Blake waited at a distance with uneased nerves.

She waited, holding her breath, already taking an attacking stance…

And then she took her opportunity, striking him with her swords. His aura kept him from bleeding, but it didn't keep him from being thrown back out of the collision's impact.

She didn't give him a chance to recover and struck again. Once. Twice. Thrice.

She kept attacking, showing no mercy.

She could hardly call this a fair fight.

She was in her prime, and he was not.

She came here cautious of a fight - prepared to deliver one - and he was not.

Under a more normal circumstance, she was certain he would be able to defeat her.

And because of that, she was glad this was no normal circumstance.

The element of surprise was the only thing keeping her from losing this battle…

It was also what eventually led to him falling down to the ground face-first, his Aura depleted as his forehead bleeding from the impact. He was conscious but in too weak of a state to be standing up, much less attack her.

He wasn't able to stop her from getting the key and using it to open the rusty metal door.

Blake ran inside, not wanting to waste any more time.

They looked worse now that she was closer.

She fought nausea away as she realized that these people - people who only wanted to live peaceful normal lives - had been… had been…

She shook one of them, and, to her relief, he stirred.

"Hey," she whispered almost soothingly. "I'm here to get you out."

The others began to stir as well. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Good. They were all alive. With practiced hands, she released their cuffs as they began to move to sit down, some even managing to stand up on their own as she thought of what her next course of action was.

She couldn't get the prisoners out themselves- there were still White Fang members upstairs. Maybe she could call Yang- or maybe Goodwitch directly.

Yeah. Yeah. That was what she should do. Call the authorities.

Blake grabbed her Scroll and began to swipe down her contacts, wishing that there were any signal this far down underground-

"Stop moving."

Blake's breath hitched, not because of the fox's voice, but because, _at the same time_ , all of the prisoners stopped moving.

She turned to him, slowly, afraid that something would happen. All of her instincts told her to run, to get the hell out of here, but she wasn't willing to. She didn't want to abandon these innocent faunus.

The fox was now propped up on his elbow and was staring at her with an unreadable expression.

"What are you-"

"Bring her down."

Heavy hands were pressed against her and she was sent stumbling into the hard floor on her back. She yelled in pain and tried to get up but couldn't because of the weight.

Blake looked up- eyes shrinking in a great sense of fear and confusion when she realized…

It was the prisoners who were holding her down.

The people she'd tried to save.

Blake shook herself out of her trance, trying to get up, growing more and more panicked when she couldn't do so. They were holding her from all directions - each and every one of them. These prisoners- they couldn't be this strong- they were just normal civilians- why were they this strong!?

It was like a mountain had been dropped on her, rendering her unmoving even as she fought with all of her might.

Their unusual strength wasn't what scared her the most, though…

No…

It was…

It was their appearance… Their appearance that had radically changed in just a few seconds and was _still_ changing.

Their eyes were bleary and unseeing. Fangs poked from their teeth. Hair that hadn't been there before covered their arms and legs and even parts of their face. They looked like animals.

They looked like _beasts. Like monsters._

Blake yelped in pain when their nails- no, their _claws_ sunk deeper into her skin, penetrating through her aura like it was nothing, weakening her. They grazed her body.

She flailed and tried to gain her breath back even as she bled and bruised.

Yet ultimately, it was futile.

A figure stood on top of her. Her vision was blurry but she could tell he was the fox, the madman who orchestrated all of this. There was a thrill of excitement gleaming in his eyes. It made her stomach feel heavy.

"Stop resisting. _One_ of them is stronger than you _and_ I combined. I doubt you'll be able to fend them off."

She glared and, through gritted teeth, spat, "Fuck. You."

This might be her end.

He might kill her or worse, but she didn't care at this point.

Every muscle in her ached.

Her breath was weak and short. Her heartbeat was so, too.

If… If this really was the end for her…

Then, dammit, she wasn't going to let it end on a weak note.

She hoped the others wouldn't miss her too much…

She hoped Yang wouldn't miss her too much either… Even when a part of her wanted Yang to cry over her.

He kneeled right above her. His eyes piercing through hers. She stared at him without flinching. She wouldn't let herself cower under his gaze. She was too proud for that.

Without warning, he grabbed her by the hair, pulled, then _pushed_ down with brute strength, her head colliding against the ground.

It hurt.

It hurt.

 _It hurt._

"There. Now you stop moving around."

Her skull felt like it was cracking and splitting. Her body twisted and contracted against her will - yet these hands kept on pressing, increasing the pressure bit by bit. She couldn't move.

She opened her mouth but wasn't able to hear her own screaming. Her ears rang too loudly.

She tried to see, but could only make out blurry silhouettes. Like blobs of shapes and colors.

She tried to make sense of his words, but she couldn't comprehend all of them.

Then the ringing stopped and her sense of hearing cleared.

"... A powerful Huntress… You say I'm insane, Huntress. But when you get a taste of it, you'll know the only thing insane is Remnant itself."

The ringings went back again. He continued to speak, but she couldn't make sense of his words anymore. Nor anything, really.

But through the ringing, she was able to hear shuffling… and then the sound of a bag being zipped open…

She was passing out and she knew it.

She didn't try to fight anymore, not because she'd given up, but because she simply couldn't move them. Not even a finger.

Everything darkened, like a curtain being pulled over reality.

 _Yang…_

 _No…_

 _I never got to tell her…_

The last thing Blake sensed before she passed out was a stinging pain on her neck.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

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 **I know my current page isn't that amazing, but I'm only starting out and… well… I'd love for you to help me reach my goal so I can write stories as not just a hobby :)**

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 **Author's Notes:**

 **Yeah, I know it's a bit weird how easily the guards just let Yang waltz in. But not only is it actually essential to the plot, but I wanted to sprinkle in a little bit of comedy in there too. Sorry if it felt too out of place, but hey, Yang's main purpose on this mission is a distraction, so it's actually in-character for her to have fun a little with her role as the helpless damsel.**

 **And also, hooray... OC villain... very original. No, wait, but really though, I hate OCs as much as you do, I know they suck, but trust me, I've tried putting in the show's villains in the plot and, well... none of them fits.**

 **Roman Torchwick? He _does_ work for the White Fang, but why would he _experiment_ on people? That's too cruel for a glamorous thief like him. **

**Cinder? No, her motives simply don't align.**

 **Salem? Why would she be working on a small-scale base like this?**

 **Adam? Yeah, no. He can actually work if I tweak a few things here and there, but...** **I didn't want to include him in this story. Doing so would hamper too much with Blake and Yang's already complicated romance. Sorry, but there are already _dozens_ of stories involving Adam. I'm _tired_ of the same-old story. I want to try something new, I'm sure you do too.**

 **So yeah, I have no choice but to put in an OC. Don't worry though, he's hardly the main focus in this story. Look, I didn't even give him a _name_! Other than the fact that he's a fox faunus and that he's insane, I won't put in any details surrounding him. **

**I promise, the OC villain won't be in the story too much. He's more of an input, a way for me to add more "umph!" to the story, spice things up.** **I made him 2-dimensional on purpose because not only does it make me easier to write him, but because he doesn't really affect the story much in the grand scheme of things. He's simply there because someone has to be there.**

 **Tell me what you think of this chapter? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading my story and... goodbye~**


	3. Aftermatch

**Author's Notes:**

 **First of all, I'd like to thank my beta reader, FeugoFox42, for helping me out with rewriting the summary. In all honesty, I've never really liked it that much - it's always been too vague for me. But I didn't want to give too much away… not until I've posted this chapter.**

 **Secondly, yes, it's Tuesday (or Wednesday, depending on where you came from), and I've posted another chapter. The reason for that is because I'll be going on a vacation tomorrow, and I won't be bringing my laptop, therefore, I won't be uploading anything until I'm back.**

 **I don't know how long the trip's going to be. At the very least, it's going to last a week, and at the most, two weeks. So… I'm quite unsure… There's a chance for me to visit my grandparents from out of town and I'd like to stay there since I missed them dearly, so… who knows?**

 **Thirdly…**

 **Happy early new years.**

 **(I don't celebrate Christmas).**

 **Lastly… enjoy~**

* * *

 **Beta:**

 _ **FeugoFox42.**_ **Check out his work, they are amazing and are worth your time ^^**

* * *

 **CHAPTER III**

 **Aftermatch**

* * *

Help arrived in the form of blue and red lights that surrounded the building… and the familiar wail of sirens. Usually, Yang would freak out over the cops, because that could mean she'd get busted for drinking underage, and that could lead her to be grounded, AKA _every teenager's worst nightmare._

This time, however, it did nothing but make her smile and whistle cheeringly.

The faunus around her jolted at the sight, staying still for a couple of seconds, likely making sure that they were, in fact, busted, before all hell broke loose.

Everyone was either screaming, shouting, running, or doing all of those things.

 _Heh. Idiots._

With a smile, she unbuttoned her coat and let it fall away from her, her smile widening when she heard them all gasp and look at her in shock. To spice things up further, she dramatically flared her Aura and grandly turned Ember Celica to their gauntlet form, cackling when one of them shouted; "Oh, shit, a huntress! She's a fucking huntress! _Fuck!"_

Everything else that came afterward was a chaotic mix of punches, kicks, and laughter… all of which were coming from her.

Beating them all up was like warming up before an actual fight.

Seriously, these guys were weak as heck. Or maybe it was because she was used to fighting stronger guys and gals that this sorry-excuse-of-a-brawl was a piece of cake.

Yang was a bit shocked when she found that the cops had arrived instead of huntsmen or huntresses or Goodwitch. But, _eh, I'll take 'em. Help is help._ They mostly just restrained or handcuffed the White Fang anyway while she had all the fun.

Eventually, all of the bad guys were either unconscious or cuffed.

Seeing that their work was done, she pumped her fist up in the air and cheered. "We did it, Blake!"

Blake didn't respond. In fact, she was nowhere to be seen.

Yang looked around.

"Blake?"

Still, no response other than a couple of strange looks the officers gave her.

 _Where is she?_

"Blake?" she tried again, a little louder, but still, no response. Not from the person who truly mattered to her in this large building.

No… No answer.

The tension rose again in her body. The adrenaline she'd been trying to quench shot back up with a vengeance.

She walked to one officer, asking, "Have you seen my partner? She's got black hair, cat ears, and wears a black coat."

The officer didn't answer.

So she moved on to the other one.

And when he didn't answer, she moved onto the next.

She kept asking. Again, and again, and again.

The more time passed, the more her worry swelled.

 _No, no, no, no._

 _Please- Blake, please be okay, please be okay, Blake._

 _C'mon, Partner, where are you- please, just-_

Yang tried calling Blake as she asked around. But still, no answer.

 _Either the battery died, or… or…_

 _No! I can't think like that!_

"Chief! Check this out! I think we found something!"

She turned just in time and found one of the feds pulling open a curtain to reveal a door.

Her eyes narrowed.

 _I know my partner well enough. She must be in there._

She ran, not caring that she'd pushed away a couple of officers along the way. Her heart pounded against her chest, and this time, it wasn't because of a sense of excitement or _thrill_ , it was out of dread and _fear._

"Blake!" she called out as she rushed down, using the light from her Scroll to guide herself.

It was dark. So dark.

But everything wasn't as dark when she'd arrived on the hidden floor. It was… like… some kind of bunker, or a basement.

Yang didn't know where she was, but she already had bad feelings about it.

It took her a while to adjust to the lighting - or the lack of it - but once she did…

She gasped.

Dozens of people lay on the ground. Some unmoving, others doing so with little aim, groaning and mumbling incoherently.

But that wasn't what broke her heart.

It was the person on the very center of it, her clothes torn and grazed, her once flawless skin tainted with scars. Her amber eyes were hidden underneath heavy eyelids.

"BLAKE!"

Loud, fast footsteps echoed in the once-silent space.

A Scroll dropped to the ground, shattered.

Tears dropped as well, not long after.

A finger was pressed onto a wrist, searching for a sign that the girl in her arms was _still_ here- that she hadn't _left._

 _Blake- Blake- Blake- Please be okay- Please be okay- I- I can't- You have to-_

Then she felt it.

A beat.

A pulse.

It was small, it was weak, but it was there, and to the exhausted blonde, that was all that mattered.

Yang's head tilted upwards as she sobbed in nothing but relief and happiness. "O-oh, t-thank D-dust…" At this point, she was incoherent.

Yang treated Blake like an old, important relic as she carried her up, careful not to jostle her, lying her down in a table not too far.

She inspected the wounds as best as she could, though, with her eyes blurred as they were, it was no easy task.

"Hey!" she called up, anxieties worsening when she heard no reply. "We need help over here! Please!"

She wrapped her unconscious but alive in a tight bear hug, tears streaming down freely as she wept and sniffled, burying her face in the girl's shoulder.

"Please," she whispered, her voice hoarse, dry, and cracked. "It wasn't supposed to turn out this way…"

She was so, so tired of this. Of having to worry about her partner. Of being separated from her and not knowing if she was okay- if she was even breathing.

 _Why did I ever leave you alone, Blake?_

 _I'm such an idiot!_

This - everything about this - was a mistake. She shouldn't have let Blake continued on and stray from the mission. Even when she knew her partner wouldn't listen, she should've _tried_ anyway, even by force.

She was tired of this whole White Fang business. She never wanted to hear their names again; she was sick of what it'd done to herself and especially Blake. It had ruined them both in more ways than one.

Blake might've left the White Fang, but _it_ never left her. It made her obsessed and irrational to the point of collapse.

She would never let this happen again. Ever.

She was… she was tired of this shit.

She just- She just wanted to go home. To be with her team. To rest. To study like she was supposed to be.

 _This is it._

 _This is the last time we'll be doing this._

She'd make _sure_ of it.

No more. No more of these dangerous searches for the White Fang. Not when it cost her _this._

"H-help… Please…" It came from one of the faunus lying on the ground.

Yang shuddered, trying not to let herself burst into flames as she very gently laid down her precious partner, looking at her lovingly and worriedly, leaning into her ears - the feline ones - and whispering, "Rest."

Then, she snapped her head towards who had dared speak, her demeanor changing as rage began to boil inside her.

 _They. They were the ones who did this to Blake._

Angry lines filled her face as she flashed her eyes red, meeting them with the eyes of those other faunus, the fire inside of her roaring louder when the faunus whimpered and gasped. _Good_. He should be scared.

"What. Happened?"

He didn't answer her. He made no indication that he'd heard her. He lied there, unmoving. The only indication that he was alive was his rising and falling chest and the slight furrowing of his eyebrows.

She dragged him up by his collar only to give him a punch to the face. He wheezed but remained limp. "Hey!" She gritted her teeth in anticipation as his eyes slowly slid open. "Answer me; What. The hell. Did you do to her?"

She didn't care if he looked like he hadn't eaten for days. She didn't care if he looked so scared of her.

The signs were there. It was obvious. She'd be blind not to miss it. He'd hurt Blake. He and the others. And he was going to _pay._

His brows furrowed a slight bit. "I… didn't mean to…"

Yang gritted her teeth and growled. She was _not_ in the mood for this. Yang pulled her fist back, her gauntlet ready to fire. But she didn't swing. Not yet. She still had questions.

"What did you do to her?"

"He… He made me…" He sounded genuine, not to mention sorrowful. It surprised her. "I had no choice-"

"Miss Xiao Long!"

She was met with a pair of emerald green eyes from above.

It was too dark to see, but from that voice alone and that familiar pair of eyes clouded behind the equally-familiar round glasses, Yang trembled.

"M-Miss Goodwitch?"

The woman ran down the stairs and onto her with such a rush, but it died down when she froze, her eyes wandering through the place as she assessed the situation.

Faunus bodies lying on the floor, likely still breathing. An injured and unconscious Blake Belladonna rested on top of the table.

And… a very confused, very angry Yang Xiao Long, holding a beaten but breathing faunus.

She kept a calm eye-contact with the teen as she ordered, "Put him down."

The teen looked back and forth between her teacher and the man. "B-but he hurt Blake!" Her fists tightened and shook. "They all did!"

She took a step forward, holding her hands out. "You don't know that."

The red eyes glowed. "I'm not an idiot! It's written all over their hands."

Yes. Glynda noticed too; the blood that draped on their fingers - on their sharp nails.

She had a lot of questions. They both did. But now wasn't the time to ask them.

"Please, let him go."

"Blake's hurt badly because of him! Because of them!"

"Which is precisely why you need to let him go." Yang's eyes widened. Glynda used this moment to drill some sense into her head. "They will pay for their actions, Miss Xiao Long, I assure you." Her eyes drifted to the other teenager, her face morphing into a more gentle and saddened expression. "We need to tend to her wounds. As soon as we can. She needs you, Miss Xiao Long."

Yang's eyes watered as she stared at her teacher.

She looked back at her partner, who hadn't moved even an inch other than breathing, and even then, it was too weak for anyone's comfort.

The fist weakened, then loosened and hung limply at her side.

"B-Blake, she-"

"She'll be alright. We'll make sure of it." Glynda gave her a nod. "It's over, Miss Xiao Long. You've done everything you can. Leave the rest to me."

Yang's shoulders sagged. She dropped the unconscious faunus. Glynda cringed at how her student rather roughly treated him but raised her concerned eyebrows when she heard her student sighed as she looked down solemnly; uncharacteristically.

"I'm…" She swallowed before tilting her head to look up at her teacher again. "I'm sorry about this. All of this." She gestured vaguely.

Glynda's gaze softened. She strode towards her reckless student and put a gentle arm on her shoulder. "You two are unharmed, for the most part, and that's all that matters." She released the hand and, before assessing Miss Belladonna's damage, said, "It's over. You need not to worry."

Only two words truly mattered to Yang as she watched her professor - and now savior - try to save Blake.

 _It's over._

It really was… wasn't it…

There was no reason for her to be worried…

So why was she?

 _It's over._

For some reason, she doubted that.

 **...**

Yang wouldn't let go of Blake's hand even as the paramedics treated her wounds. They were on the Bullhead; she, Professor Goodwitch, her partner, and the nurses assigned to treat her.

The pilot had waited until Blake was secure before it flew off, the passengers being the partners and their professor.

Glynda gazed at her two students. Students that should never have been involved in this.

She wanted to yell at them for disobeying orders, and putting themselves at risk, _and_ each other at risk, _and_ other innocent people at risk, _and_ more things to be yelled about, but looking at them now, both the states of Miss Xiao Long and Miss Belladonna, it was hard to be anything other than sympathetic.

She was looking at the conscious half of the duo, who was failing miserably at pretending to be fine. Her student was still on edge, and she doubted it was because of the fight itself. No, she was guarded, and not merely for herself. She jumped at the slightest bit of sound. Her posture was stiff and forced. The teen herself might not notice, but her hands had been balled into fists for so long, her knuckles were turning white.

Glynda knew it fell on her hands to ease the girl's nerves.

She began by saying, "Miss Belladonna will be fine." Yang's eyes fell on hers, shocked and attentive. "Her most major injury is a concussion, the rest are mere… cuts that had penetrated through her aura. I'll arrange for her to be put in your dorm," she suggested, her lips curling upwards when the blonde soundlessly gasped, "if you're able to care for her, that is."

"You can do that?" Yang asked. The idea of Blake being placed in their dorm for recovery instead of the creepy hospital room sounded appealing to her. Being within the cares of her teammates - her friends - instead of some random nurse… Yeah. She'd like that.

Plus… she didn't really think she'd be able to handle being so far away from Blake…

Yang didn't care if she had to learn how to do some complicated, weird medical stuff so long as Blake was with her- with all of them.

Glynda tilted her chin up. "I might not be the headmaster, Miss Xiao Long, but I still hold authority."

Yang blushed but smiled nonetheless - even if it was more awkward than anything else. "Right. T-thank you, Miss Goodwitch." She stared back at Blake again, trying not to worry too much about the cuts she had, trying not to think about who could possibly get the jump on Blake, not to think about who was strong enough to be able to cut through her partner's aura…

Blake was taped with bandages. All of them were on her upper body, which raised more questions. The medical staff had said predicted that these injuries would heal completely by tomorrow.

 _Still… the fact that Blake even got these injuries in the first place is…_

Yang swallowed. Trying not to think about it made her think about it more.

"You have permission to ask questions, you know."

She looked up, finding the professor looking at her knowingly. Was she really being that obvious? Yang gulped but then sighed in resignation.

This whole thing… Yang wasn't really sure what she should feel about it.

A part of her was angry because Blake had gotten hurt and she was at least partly to blame for it.

A part of her didn't want to ask. The mission was over. Everything was over. In a couple of hours, she'd be safe in sound in her room anyway, so what was the point?

A part of her was scared of the answers she'd get. Answers regarding the claw marks and why the White Fang members had seemed so distraught and unnerved even before the cops had arrived.

Yet… in the end…

Blake had gotten hurt trying to find out.

She needed to ask. She needed to know. If not for her, then for her curious cat.

"What… What happened? Why did you show up late? Why did the cops show up first?"

"Because they were called first."

Yang frowned, looking down for a while as she mulled it over.

"I... don't think Blake was the one who called them."

"She didn't." Yang looked up. Goodwitch wasn't looking at her. "It was one of the members involved." A heavy silence filled the air. The woman had her fists resting on her hip as she frowned upon it. "He had become… uncomfortable with what he was doing and decided to alert the police. Apparently, it wasn't just him. Many of the members also wanted out, but was fearful of doing so."

Yang was afraid to ask. But she knew that if she didn't, she'd regret it. "What… were they doing?"

Goodwitch frowned, her shoulders sagging. "We're unsure. As of now, the authorities are still investigating it."

"Oh," whispered Yang. "Then… How did _you_ get here?"

The woman readjusted her glasses and spoke in a more formal manner. "I was already on my way to your location. Knowing you two, I suspected you'll both try to investigate on our own. Hearing that the _police_ are also on their way there only made me move faster." She frowned at Yang scoldingly. "It was hard not to get worried."

Yang tensed at that last part and looked away in utter embarrassment. "Sorry," she muttered. Then a thought occurred to her. Something she saw that needed to be talked about - that needed to be told. "Professor, I saw something. One of the shelves, it look- it had what looked like claw marks o-"

"We know, Yang." The girl's jaw hung as she openly stared at her. Glynda's face softened as she stared back. "Rest assured that we're working on it, alright?"

Yang wasn't rested assured. "But they could be-"

" _Listen._ " Glynda leaned forward and touched the girl's shoulder, squeezing it. Yang flinched at the contact, only now noticing how tense she'd been. "This is _none_ of your concerns. Not anymore. You did your best. Both of you." She briefly glanced at the resting girl. "And now, it's not up to you to work on this anymore. It's up to us. Don't fret. Everyone was captured. Everyone."

Yang… still had loads of questions. Was that really a claw mark she saw? Who had made it? Who was strong enough to cause such a damage? The people down in that room - the missing faunus - what were they trying to do to Blake? What were this branch's goals? Did they really capture everyone?

So many questions plagued her head, but…

She was tired. And, as Goodwitch said, she'd done all she could - both she and Blake. It was over. It should be over for her- for them both.

She just wanted to lay down and rest. She just wanted to go back home.

 _Home._

With _Blake._

It took her a while, but eventually, Yang nodded. It was a weak but determined nod.

"... You're right. You're right. Thanks, Glyn- I mean, Miss Goodwitch."

Glynda chuckled at the teen's bashfulness.

"It's no problem, Yang."

The ride continued in silence. Yang's eyes found Blake again. She kept gazing at her partner's unnaturally-still face, willing her to open her eyes. Eventually, those same eyes found themselves looking at those cute, fuzzy pair of cat ears.

Yang found herself smiling in a bitter, nostalgic way.

She remembered it all clearly like it had happened yesterday; they were hanging out together as partners, alone together, walking through the garden when Blake muttered about how she wanted to stop wearing her bow. Yang had been supportive of her, yet Blake still had her doubts, listing off all the what-ifs. In the end, Yang settled to simply tell her that, no matter what, so long as it was her choice and her alone, she would support Blake, no matter what.

Yang hadn't thought that Blake would actually pull through… Her partner had looked so fearful, so uncertain…

Yet, the very next day, Blake came out of their dorm room with a proud stride and no bow. And the day after that. And the day after that. And so forth.

Even until now, Yang wondered what had changed her mind…

She wondered who had given her partner that push…

 **...**

What woke her was the uncomfortableness. A part of her was confused as to why. She was on a bed, wasn't she? Based on the soft texture against her back, and the even softer, fluffier object her head was resting on.

Why would she be uncomfortable…?

Then, came the pain. Coming from all over her body. It made her regret ever wondering about the uncomfortableness. They were as if small but pointy shards that were pressed against every part of her body. She winced immediately.

Lastly, came the pounding in her head.

She was reluctant to open her eyes, even though a part of her knew she should. She just… she needed to think for a moment, to really clear her head.

 _What happened?_

With her just waking up… added with this irritating, disorienting pounding ringing throughout her head… it was… hard to remember.

That said, it didn't mean she couldn't recall anything.

Bits and pieces flew around her, some more vivid than others.

She remembered how it all started.

It was a mission she took as soon as she was made aware of it. A partner-only mission. It just- it lined up so perfectly with what she'd been worrying about- the rumors she'd been hearing about. It was a great way for her to try and find out more without anyone telling her it was too dangerous. Of course she'd taken it.

And her partner had come along with her.

Even if it was a solo mission, Blake doubted the blonde would simply stay and let her investigate. She would've insisted, no matter what.

 _Yang…_

Blake remembered the resigned look she had - one directed at her. Once again, she wondered how she could deserve such an understanding, caring partner.

And they…

They had separated…

Blake had needed her partner to distract the guards while she went inside that secret door. The blonde had been successful.

Blake went inside… And she… she found the missing faunus, locked up- tied up- cuffed- _chained_ in cells…

Her memories didn't come so easily after that.

Blake jogged her head even harder.

What came after was like a fever dream. She could only see hazy images and hear hazier noises.

There were… there were two people… coming up to maybe check on the prisoners… Blake had observed as they spoke…

The captured faunus were used as… as experiments of sorts… and- and that they were close to succeeding…

And then…

Had… Had she been found out? Had she attacked them? Or had she called for help?

There was nothing but darkness after that. Blake couldn't remember what she'd seen or hear, but…

She remembered feeling so distraught and confused…

She remembered… disgust and hatred… directed at someone other than herself.

And then… she remembered feeling helpless and weak.

Were… Were that really her memories at this point? Or were they just… nothing more than dreams? Nightmares caused by her passing out?

 _What happened?_

… _Where's Yang?_

Amber eyes fluttered open, then they widened when they weren't greeted with the sight of white ceilings but the familiar wooden texture of her partner's bed.

 _Am I in my dorm?_

Blake rolled her head to the side, careful not to do it too fast lest the pounding would worsen, her chest heaving in relief when she saw the familiar sight of Ruby and Weiss - the latter sleeping on her back, arms by her side, poised and perfect as ever in her sleep while the latter was basically a snoring starfish.

Blake smiled at the sight. She'd made it… somehow. Both she and Yang- they'd done it. Even if she couldn't remember how, exactly, they _succeeded._

A sudden feeling of uncomfortableness washed over her. Then did she realize that she had adorned several cuts, not to mention she most likely had a concussion, if the pounding, splitting pain in her head was anything to go by. Yeah… These injuries must be what was making her sweat despite the cold weather… These _must be_ the cause of the uneasiness she was feeling…

Soon, the wetness in her face bothered her, and she knew she needed to wash up and dried her face.

It took a lot of effort and precautions to not aggravate her wounds, but she managed to stand up. And when she did, she heard a soft whisper of "Blake?" coming from above.

Slowly, she looked up, finding her partner, who was propped up on her elbow and was looking at her with such a large sense of shock and worry that it recoiled her.

"Hi, Yang…" she greeted in a whisper.

Her partner stared at her, her gaze intense. "You're… You're awake."

Blake frowned. She noticed that Yang didn't look too well. Sure, she wasn't bandaged or bruised like she herself was, but her eyes had bags underneath them, and they were red - not the semblance kind of red.

"Did you get any sleep?"

The question didn't quite register with the blonde. "Are you doing okay? Does your head hurt? What _happened_? Why-"

"Yang, hush," Blake softly chided, gesturing to the other half of the team. "Don't wake them."

The blonde glanced at them for a moment before returning to locking eyes with her. "We're all worried."

"I'm sorry." She didn't know what else to say.

Yang sighed before letting her head fall back to her pillow, bouncing a bit. She… She had too many questions. But… she knew she had to wait. It was late and… she should catch a much-needed sleep. "We'll talk about it in the morning when you're feeling better." The blonde might not be able to see anything very well, but she knew Blake was still in pain, even when she tried to hide it. Her slow, stiff movements gave it away. Her eyes opened in shock when she heard light footsteps. "Where are you going?"

"The... bathroom."

She flushed and made a small "Oh" sound. She really was worked up, wasn't she? More so than the rest of her team. At least they were able to sleep, even after seeing an unconscious Blake being delivered into the dorm by the staffs of Beacon.

She supposed she was just… scared. Scared that Blake wouldn't wake up so soon - or at all.

But now she had woken up. And she was her normal self. Everything would be okay. This time she was sure of it.

Her heavy eyelids finally closed, and Yang was finally able to get the sleep she'd been craving for.

Blake watched with a small smile as the blonde slowly fell back to sleep, snoring not after a long while. The blonde must be _really_ tired from the mission. They both were.

Quietly closing the bathroom door, Blake finally let herself fully groan out the pain, her posture slackening as hot tears of pain began to blur her vision.

Why was she in such pain?! This- this wasn't any normal pain, she was sure of it! She'd taken far heavier hits before, and it still didn't hurt _this_ much!

No- This was- This was a foreign pain. And it- it didn't even come from the cuts or her head. It came from… _within._

Blake barely made her way to the sink, clutching it as something to balance herself when her legs suddenly feel much weaker - when her entire body felt like it was under some kind of dizzy spell.

Did… Did she have another injury? One she wasn't aware of? But… But that couldn't be possible, could it? What kind of injury would even lead her to this state?

A new wave of sickness washed over her, forcing her to shut her eyes from the pain. It was like there was some kind of coldness inside her, piercing her insides from every way. The strange, unearthly feeling grew, slithering around her body. But Blake couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't scream out in pain, unable to utter a sound in the blinding pain.

 _Just- Just focus on your breathing, Blake._

And she did just that.

Even as the pain got worse, blinding her even more to the point where she couldn't feel nor move her body, she just breathed in and out. In and out. In and out.

She… didn't know how long time had passed, but, eventually (and very fortunately)... the pain subsided.

The weirdness she felt inside of her body slowly muted until it was no longer there, and all that was left was the pounding in her head and the stinging pain coming from all parts of her body. Still, she'd take the raw pain over… over whatever _that_ was.

She opened her eyes slowly and was greeted by the reflection of her own face. And she looked horrible; sweating profusely, breathing unevenly, overall looking like she was about to pass out _right at that second._

She took a couple more deep breaths as she let her eyes closed, grabbing a towel and drying her face, sighing at the soft texture against her equally soft skin.

Once she was done, she felt… better. Not okay, and definitely not great, but… well, she was sure she had enough strength to walk back into the bed again, and that was… enough… for now, at least.

She opened her amber eyes with resolve and-

… _Wait…_

 _Is that a…_

Blake leaned forward, squinting her eyes at the reflection disbelievingly.

 _No… No, that- that can't be…_

 _But it's- it's there…_

 _No, no, I must be dreaming…_

Blake pinched her cheek. Nothing happened.

 _What-? But… How…_

 _This- This must be some kind of joke-_

 _There's no way- No fucking way…_

But it was no joke, and Blake knew that.

 _This… This is real…_

What she was seeing through her reflection…

What was swishing back and forth rapidly - almost nervously - behind her…

Something that wasn't there before, not before that overwhelming pain…

A tail.

… Yes.

A tail.

A fucking tail.

She had a tail.

No, her _reflection_ had a tail. Maybe if she…

Turning to glance behind her, she saw that it wasn't a trick of her mind - it was real.

She. Had. A _tail!_

A real, fucking, black, fluffy tail.

 _What the hell is happening?!_

Unbeknownst to her, the craziness had only just begun.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 **News:**

 **Hey everyone! Do you want to read the next chapter now and support me with my writing at the same time? If not, then that's alright! If so, then thank you and please check out my site:**

 **P a treon . com (slash) ClementineDavidson**

 **I promise it's not unreasonably expensive.**

 **I know my current page isn't that amazing, but I'm only starting out and… well… I'd love for you to help me reach my goal so I can write stories as not just a hobby :)**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **TURNS OUT… The weird flashback thing in Chapter 1 was NEVER a flashback…**

 **It's a glimpse of the future…**

 **:3**

 **Isn't I dumbn't?**

 **Also… small confession: I dislike Ozpin. Like, really dislike him.**

 **So, in this story…** **Yeah, Ozpin's not gonna be in this story.**

 **And it's not just because I dislike him, it's because of how he acts in Volume 1-3. He acts like he knows everything. Nothing can get past him. He's invincible. He controls everything…** **Which makes it hard for me hard to write him as a** _ **real**_ **human being with flaws.**

 **Glynda, however, acts more like a teacher and less like… well… Ozpin.**

 **However, if you want a "real" reason as to why he won't be in this story… the dude's on a vacation… yeah, that'll do.**

 **All in all, thanks for reading my story. I appreciate all of your reviews and I can't believe it already has 50+ followers already. Seriously, you guys are the best!**

 **See you later!**


	4. Back to Normal

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey everyone, I'm back from hugging kangaroos and koalas and learning (and failing) to throw the boomerang~**

 **Actually, I've been back for quite a while now, but, well… I've encountered a problem regarding school. It's not a serious problem (it's that the one causing that problem really, really offends me with their choice of words) and it won't affect my writing at all.**

 **Glad to see no one complained about the last chapter, especially during the fight scene between Blake and the villain. I've never really taken an interest in fighting scenes in stories and I was quite nervous all of you would be able to tell how little I know about fights (which is ironic considering I used to do taekwondo).**

 **Anyway, on to the story!**

* * *

 **Beta:**

 _ **FeugoFox42.**_ **Check out his stories, they are amazing and worth your time ^^**

* * *

 **CHAPTER IV**

 **Back to Normal**

* * *

"So you don't remember anything after you went down there?" asked Ruby, who sat on her partner's side on their lower bunk, fidgeting and biting her lip - a nervous tick of hers.

Blake shook her head but cringed at the pain that the small action had caused. She could feel her team's gaze boring into her in distress and tried to wave it away with a stiff smile. "Not 'anything', but… certainly not a lot either." She frowned and looked down. "I don't know if some of them are even memories or just weird dreams, at this point."

And that bothered her more than they'd ever realized. It bothered her more with what she'd… _discovered._

Weiss, who Blake could tell was as uneasy as her dolt of a partner, nodded pointedly. "That is to be expected. You took a hit to the head."

 _That_ was an understatement.

Blake cringed again, not at the pain this time, but because of the reminder and hazy memory that came with it. She knew that she wasn't hit at by a weapon, rather, someone had knocked her down…

The feeling of her head colliding against the cold, hard cement wasn't something she was able to forget so easily, unfortunately.

Something under her covers flicked, _moved_ , Blake hastily grasped it with her hand, steadying it, making it seemed as if she was resting that hand on her bed, holding nothing but her blanket.

Judging by how they all seemed to be in deep thought - and were not at all skeptical - they hadn't noticed her slip-up. Which was… Which was good.

It seemed that they interpreted the fact that she covered herself with her blanket all the way to her shoulder because she was injured. That same interpretation could be held with how she hadn't gotten out of bed since that night…

Nothing more.

They didn't suspect that she was hiding anything big from them. If she was behaving oddly, they must've written it as one of the side effects of her injury. Her concussion and adrenaline from the mission, to be more exact.

Like her being jittery all morning. Or her never pulling down the blanket. Or her _looking_ like she'd not slept at all… which… she hadn't.

Yeah. It was because of the injury… and adrenaline… and shock… and other factors as well…

Nothing… Nothing more…

"You have a severe concussion and several cuts all over your body," Yang spoke, looking at her in a way that reminded her of how an angry mother looked at her misbehaving child. "Cuts that don't seem to have come from weapons." Lilac eyes narrowed in anger.

"... It's… healing," she lamely answered.

Yang's eye twitched. Was Blake seriously going to downplay her injuries like they were nothing?!

After seeing the faunus pressing her hand on her head again, she shook her head, realizing she should yell at the recovering girl later… when she was recovered. "It doesn't matter anymore. You're okay. I'm okay. So everything's okay."

At that, Blake shot up from her bed, ignoring the cries of concern coming from the rest of the team.

"What do you mean everything's okay?!" she demanded, now upright. "Yang, they-"

"That's _enough_ , Blake," snapped Yang, her tone low and husky. They all stared at her in shock. Never before had they seen her _this_ mad before. Her eyes were a steady lilac, but with the rage it derived, it might as well be her semblance red. Her muscles flexing. The usual carefree attitude she carried gone. Yang pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay? That's enough. You don't get to do that anymore, to obsess over the White Fang." She looked directly into Blake's wide, wavering eyes. "Not after what happened to you."

They stared into each other's eyes, no longer caring about the set of eyes watching them from the sides in equal parts sadness, worry, and interest.

Blake didn't understand why Yang was saying all of those things. Was she really going to abandon all of their hard work - _her_ hard work?!

She- She needed to know everything there was to know about that place!

The _thing_ she hid from them moved again, flicking.

Blake held onto it harder, willing it to stop moving.

Something was wrong with her. Obviously. And she was willing to bet it had something to do with what had happened, what she had forgotten. Which was _why_ she _had to_ know.

This wasn't just an obsession! This wasn't her being reckless again!

This was different!

"Yang," she started, "it-"

"NO!" She jolted from her partner's volume. They all did. This time, Yang's eyes really _were_ a glowing shade of crimson. "I'm sick and tired of this! I don't want you running off on me again, dammit! Not even for something as important to you as the White Fang!" Blake stared as Yang slowly released her knuckles, her posture slackening, and her anger subsiding into… something else… something more intimate. "I mean, just look at you, Blake! You're not fine! You're obsessed over them! You're hurt because of it! One day you might even-" Yang stopped herself. She couldn't even finish that sentence. She didn't want to.

Blake… didn't know what to do, what to even say.

Slowly, she reached out towards her partner.

"Yang…"

The blonde was lost in her own world now, looking at the ground instead of anything else. "I was worried sick, Blake. I searched and searched and searched for you. All through that damned place, but there was no response, nothing. When the cops said they found _something,_ I barged right past them just so I could be the first one to you, to see if you were there."

A small drip of wetness fell down from Yang's face. It hurt Blake to see that. She wanted to wipe it away. She wanted to kiss it away.

But Blake couldn't really do that, could she?

"But when I saw you… you were on the ground… bleeding… not moving." Yang's heart ached and jolted at the memory, making her shudder. She remembered… not feeling like herself. As if a part of her was taken. It was a horrible feeling. "I… didn't know what to do. You were hurt. More, you were injured. And that was - _is_ \- on me. I…"

 _I like you, Blake. I really, really like you, and I don't want to see you get hurt. It hurts me to see you in pain._

But Yang couldn't really say that, could she?

"I'm your partner. It's my job to look after you." Even when Yang felt like she was more than a partner. Even when she felt like it was more than a job.

Yang met Blake's eyes again. "I don't want that to happen again. I _won't_ let it happen again. So, please… don't ever do this again."

There was so much despair in those lilac eyes. It wasn't right. They should be filled with warmth and happiness and every other positive thing, not _this_.

Blake wanted to tell her that she wasn't doing this because she enjoyed this, not because she wanted to, but it was because she _had_ to.

She didn't.

"You're… You're right." Yang's eyes widened in shock. There was hopefulness in there too. "I'm sorry. I… I'll try not to obsess over them."

Blake's chest contracted in pain when she said that, knowing it was a lie.

She didn't say that because she really meant it.

She said that because she knew it would comfort her partner. It would bring a smile to her face again. It would make her happy.

Because Yang deserved to be happy, and not to worry about whatever was happening with Blake.

Because Yang deserved happiness… not what she was hiding.

Since last night, Blake had considered telling them. She'd almost sprinted and jumped onto her partner's bed, shaking her awake and crying out for her help.

But she held herself from doing so. And she didn't know why… not back then.

Now, though…

Now, she knew why…

Because she couldn't involve her team in this.

Because she couldn't involve Yang…

"That's…" Yang wanted her to stop thinking about the White Fang all together, but she sighed, knowing it was futile. "That'll have to do, for now."

Blake looked away, feeling her partner's eyes lingering on her until, eventually, Yang turned away, continuing on her morning routine, as did the rest of them.

The tail hidden beneath the cover flicked again. Blake's ears flattened as she bit her lip.

Dread. It consumed her.

 **...**

It was nine. Ruby and Weiss had - reluctantly - gone to class some time ago, though not after making Blake promise that she'd call them if anything were to happen. Yang had stayed to make sure her partner was okay, despite it being Combat Class; the brawler's favorite class.

And Yang was okay with that. In fact, she didn't give a damn about missing any class so long as she was able to care for her partner.

She pretended to play with her games on Weiss' bunk, when really, she was checking in on her partner, subtly glancing at her every now and then, taking note of every detail.

She concluded that Blake… was uneasy.

Her ears, though not flattened, were tilted down. Her entire body was stiff like she was afraid of something. But what really gave it away was the fact that the bookworm had been 'reading' the same page for ten whole minutes.

 _Something's up with Blake._

Yang wasn't an idiot. And she could be perceptive when she wanted to be.

There was something her partner was afraid of. Something regarding last night. And how could she not? Even Yang was still uneasy with the things she saw that night.

 _What aren't you telling me, Partner?_

"You know you can still go to class, right?"

Yang was offended. "What?! No way! I'm not leaving you here all alone!"

Blake stared at her in bewilderment and slowly said, "Yang. I am injured. Not disabled."

"You have a concussion!" Yang reasoned. "And, like, a dozen cuts! You're practically a mummy!"

Blake's bewilderment turned into annoyance. She did not appreciate being compared to a mythical monster with a horrible fashion statement.

"And they're already healing." She grasped one of the bandages and began tugging it. "Look-"

"No! Don't touch it!"

Yang was now facing Blake's bed, no longer laying down. Her arms were outstretched towards the bedridden girl.

Blake looked up at Yang… and pulled.

"Blake!"

"Yang. Look." The blonde did look… and gawked at the lack of red painting her partner's skin. "It's fine. See? They're practically nonexistent." Blake then grunted, "Aura. Don't forget about them."

Yang bent downwards, inspecting her partner further, gently grabbing her arm to do so. "I can sorta still see them…" Barely visible pink lines at where the deep cuts were.

After recovering from the flush that rose to her cheeks due to how close they were, Blake rolled her eyes. Her partner could be so dramatic sometimes. _But I suppose that just goes to show how much she cares for me…_

"They're almost done healing," Blake spoke in a gentle tone, catching Yang's hesitant eyes. "I don't even feel them anymore." For the most part. "I'll be fine for a few hours. If something happens I can just text you."

Truthfully, Blake was nowhere near okay. Her head was still pounding, and her train of thoughts was slowed down and was not as clear-cut as they usually were, especially with the added weight of… well… _what was wrong with her._

"But my Scroll's missing…"

"I can text either Ruby or Weiss or JNPR," Blake quickly concluded, "and tell _them_ to get _you_ to come to me. Simple." Okay, well, it wasn't that simple, but it was practical. Yang was still anxious, so Blake grasped her hand, rubbing her fingers on her knuckles in a soothing manner. She gave the blonde a gentle smile. "I'll be fine, Yang. It's only for a few hours. I'm only going to stay here and read."

"I…" A soft sigh. "Okay… Fine... But don't read too much in case your head hurts!"

"I won't."

"And you should text me every hour! To update on your wellbeing!"

"Your Scroll's gone," Blake pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"You should text Ruby every hour!"

"Great," she deadpanned.

"This is serious business, Belladonna!" Yang pointed an accusing finger towards her. "If anything happens you tell any of us ASAP, got it!?"

"You're overdoing it a little, Partner."

"Am not!" denied Yang. "And don't forget to cover yourself! It's cold, you might get sick!"

"Yang, I am seventeen-"

"You can borrow my coat since yours is destroyed," she helpfully provided. "And don't forget to catch some sleep!"

Blake tried to keep her poker face. But it broke quickly afterward. She couldn't help it. Yang was so sweet. "Alright, Yang. Thank you. For everything."

This time, it was Yang who rolled her eyes. She, without much thinking, said, "Duh. You're amazing. Of course I'd give you my everything."

… Shit.

Shit. Shit. _Shit._

Blake was looking at her with a mixture of concern and shock and something else she was too panicked to try to find out.

She mustered a cocky grin, flipped her hair backward, and winked at Blake in what would hopefully be perceived as friendly-teasing. "You _are_ my partner, after all." Blake looked more at ease after that, but the tension still hung in the air. So, being the flustered teen that she was, the blonde strode to the door with a simple, "Welp! Better get going, then!"

She grabbed the handle, twisted it, but as her foot was dragged up and away from the room…

She heard a very faint, very weak-sounding "Y-Yang?"

Her partner slowly turned around, wary. Blake couldn't blame her. She failed to suppress the fear in her voice, after all. Even if she did suppress it, Yang would see through to her anyway.

"Yeah? Do you need anything?" The tone was gentle, welcoming. It made it seem like Yang would accept whatever she was about to say no matter what.

Blake couldn't look at her anymore. "It's…" She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how she should say it. She bit her lip, twisting the sheet rather roughly.

She looked back at Yang again, who was patient and still. Waiting for her.

She…

She couldn't…

"Don't fall asleep in class, got it?" She gave Yang her knowing smirk, which was returned by a crooked smile and a short, bright laugh.

"I totally will but thanks anyway!"

Yang hurriedly closed the door, too embarrassed to muster enough courage to look at Blake one last time.

She let her back leaned against the cold walls of the hallway, counting herself lucky that no one was here to see her be like this.

That…

That was close.

That was _really_ close…

Not only had she almost confessed, but that was the first time she'd ever accidentally slipped up.

She'd been careful at masking her feelings towards her partner.

She'd managed to convince that the reason why she had touched Blake's face was because she was worried her partner gained a fever, and not because her urges told her to in order to admire that porcelain, perfect skin.

She'd managed to convince that the reason why she stared at Blake for so long was that there was something on her face and not because she was simply drawn to her beauty.

Every time she did a romantic act, she'd covered it splendidly with platonic reasoning.

… Until now.

She'd been so obvious. So forward. So unashamed of it.

And she couldn't understand why.

Yang lightly bumped her head against the flat surface.

 _Maybe… I really need to think about this… thing…_

 _I think it's time… I… do something…_

It was more than a simple crush. Far more.

And she needed to do something about it.

 **...**

Yang was gone… and with her, disappeared the lighthearted, cheerful, _warm_ atmosphere as well.

Blake's smile faltered and vanished in less than seconds.

Her shoulders slumped. She gripped the sheets tighter until her hands were shaking.

 _Why can't you just tell her?_ She stared glassy-eyed at where Yang was moments ago. Her smile was embedded in her mind. They were all always so accepting, so hopeful. Not like her.

 _You know she'll help you._

 _She'll always help you._

 _Why are you hiding?_

This was… If she kept going like this- if she didn't tell them- any of them, then… then… it was going to be a repeat of the docks incident.

She was brave back then, wasn't she? She'd confronted her team, explained herself, and asked for their forgiveness. They'd welcomed her. They'd accepted her.

But… then again… she hadn't truly opened up to them, had she?

She didn't willingly show them that she was a faunus.

No.

She'd… she'd let it slip during an argument. She hadn't wanted them to know. She never wanted them to find out. Not so soon.

 _Don't repeat your past mistakes!_

 _Learn from them!_

 _Don't let it happen again!_

 _They're your team!_

 _They need to know!_

… Yes, but… not now. Not if she could fix this by herself.

 _Are you even listening to yourself?!_

She was. She did listen.

But there was something inside her- something primal- something that was always there within her from the very beginning.

A need to hide. A need to run.

It whispered that this was different, this was more urgent, and she didn't have time for this.

It was as if… she had no choice but to hide.

Blake sighed. She only now realized that she was trembling again.

She stood up from her bed, letting the sheets swiveled down, revealing what she'd dreaded to see. The cause of her dilemma.

The tail that was attached to her.

The tail that hadn't been there _all of her life._

The tail that was currently swishing back and forth freely.

She scowled at it and grabbed at it only to recoil when it nearly flicked her in the face as if it had a mind of its own.

 _You need to go to the infirmary._ But tell them what? That she'd suddenly grown a tail overnight? What would they say? What would they do? They'd experiment on her- she was sure, after all, this wasn't anything normal- people like to prod with things that weren't normal-

 _Calm down. You're overreacting. Beacon wouldn't do anything to hurt you._

Except she couldn't be sure.

Except they could very well do that to her.

 _What happened?_

 _What happened?_

 _What happened?_

Blake grabbed her tail again with a harsh grip, ignoring the pain that shot through to it.

She looked at it as if it served her the answers she needed.

It didn't.

It kept moving. Swishing. Flicking. Little but noticeable movements.

A part of her was freaking out.

This- This wasn't normal. She'd grown a _tail,_ for fuck's sake.

But, oddly enough, that part of her was… distant.

Blake was calm, though she knew she shouldn't be.

She closed her eyes, took a withering, deep sigh, concentrated…

And tried to remember.

Images. Blurred, hazy images. They were dark. And she couldn't discern what they were, what they meant.

The more she tried to remember, the worse her headache grew.

Blake involuntarily stopped with a gasp when the pain became unbearable.

She couldn't remember. No matter how much she wanted to.

There was something she was missing- something she knew was hidden from her- from everyone, even.

Last night, something- no, someone had changed her. Had made her this way.

And she…

She intended to find this person. She needed to. If he was able to turn her this way, then he was able to change her back.

 _What about your team?_

What they didn't know won't hurt them.

Luckily, she was able to handle this situation without anyone getting involved. This was her problem. Not theirs.

 _What about Yang?_

… She couldn't hurt Yang. Not again. Blake had seen the sorrow in her eyes - sorrow that should never have existed in those beautiful bright eyes - and that sorrow was caused by her.

She should've never involved Yang.

No. She couldn't hurt Yang. Not again. She didn't deserve this. Blake didn't deserve her, either. This was Blake's fight, not hers. Yang deserved the sense of relief, of thinking that everything was okay. Blake didn't want her to be in pain. She didn't want her to worry.

She loved her too much for that.

An image flashed through her head. A memory, even. A person. A fox faunus. Looking down at her. Leering. Then, he saw something- from behind him- something she couldn't see… and he ran.

 _He…_

 _He wasn't captured._

Blake slowly put her hand on her mouth, covering it as a new sense of dread washed over her.

 _He's still out there. Somewhere._

 _And no one knows about it._

The authorities… Professor Goodwitch… They wouldn't be able to help her. She doubted they were able to track him as fast as she could. They were still busy capturing and interrogating the members that they couldn't bother wondering about the mastermind- who really was behind all of this.

 _I…_

 _I need to find him._

Because in her eyes, he was the only one able of turning her back to normal.

Of turning everything back to normal.

Of giving Yang what she wanted.

No matter the cost.

 **...**

A hand was slammed onto her desk, the sound echoing in the empty classroom, startling her. Oh. The class had ended. She hadn't realized that. "Spill."

She looked up, finding a pair of silver eyes glaring down at her with a mixture of concern, curiosity, and… daggers. A whole bunch of 'em.

Yang winced, poorly feigning innocence. "Whatever do you mean, dear sister?"

She winced harder when her sister's partner - who sat right next to her, trimming her nails as she put one leg above the other - snorted. "Don't think we haven't noticed how weird you've been acting ever since you got home last night. You were tired all morning despite being uninjured, and you didn't pay attention to what _should've been_ your favorite class. You're lucky you weren't called out to a fight. I doubt you'll be able to handle a fight with _Arc_ in your state."

The worst part was that the Princess was right. She was restless all night, and when sleep did come to her, it dragged her to the memory of her partner, motionless, bloodied.

But the lack of sleep wasn't what truly distracted her from the world… no… it was… something else.

"Is it because of what you saw?" Yang slowly looked back up. Ruby still looked small ever when she was standing up, towering over her. She looked scared. Scared for her. "Miss Goodwitch told us that… that the base turned out to be…"

Her sister struggled to find the words, so her partner found it for her. "Shady. Off. More than what you're supposed to be handling. More than the members themselves could handle, apparently." Intelligent, calculating blue found and bore into tired lilac. "Especially since it wasn't you two who'd reported whatever strange activity had been occurring inside that warehouse."

Slowly, she shook her head, heaving a sigh that was forlorn - unlike her usual self.

"No, it's not that…" Sure, she had questions. And worries. But that wasn't what she'd been thinking about. That wasn't what had distracted her during class and, well, the entirety of her day. _No, it's…_

"It's about Blake, isn't it?"

Yang snapped her head back at Weiss, whose face was as stern as ever, but whose eyes had a sense of understanding in them.

The blonde leaned back to her chair, admitting, "Yeah… Yeah, it is." She wasn't surprised they knew. After she'd exploded earlier that morning, they'd have to be blind _not_ to know. Or deaf, she supposed. "When… When I saw Blake like that… It… It made me realize just how… how much I care for her."

"Well, obviously," chirped Ruby. "You're her _partner_! Of course you care about her!"

 _Oh, Ruby. If only you knew._

"Then you understand why I'm so worried." When the petite girls looked at each other in confusion, she sighed, rolling her eyes. "You do realize that Blake's hiding something from us, right?"

"Well, yeah… but… it's Blake."

Yang grunted. That was a good point. Her partner was known to be secretive, but… "Why hasn't she told us anything? Why does she feel the need to keep it a secret?"

"Maybe it's because she's scared?" Ruby offered, trying to ease the tension.

Yang shook her head. "That's all the more reason to confide in us." _In me,_ she didn't say. "We're her teammates. Her friends. Doesn't she trust us?" _Doesn't she trust me?_ Yang bit her lip, her cheeks reddening at both Ruby and Weiss' shocked glances. "We should go."

The partners looked at each other again, communicating with only their eyes. Weiss nodded, stern. Afterward, Ruby, though more hesitantly, nodded as well.

"Yeah, sure thing, Yang."

She smiled a crooked smile, willing to let this matter drop and pretended like it never happened as she went on with her day.

They didn't understand.

How could they?

They didn't see what she'd seen.

 _Why are you still worried?_ a voice asked. _Don't you want this to be over?_

Yeah, but…

To Blake, this wasn't over.

 _And I'll be damned if I'm gonna let her fall into that shithole again!_

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 **News:**

 **My goodness! Can't believe people are actually donating to my account! Thanks a lot everyone, it really means a lot!**

 **So, if you want to read the next chapter now and support me, please check out my site!**

 **P a treon . com (slash) ClementineDavidson**

 **I promise it's not unreasonably expensive.**

 **I know my current page isn't that amazing, but I'm only starting out and… well… I'd love for you to help me reach my goal so I can write stories as not just a hobby :)**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Woof. What a chapter. White Rose finally makes their appearance. Yang is still disturbed by the events that had happened, more so than she realises, and her response to Blake's "unnecessary worries" have a great impact to the story, so do pay attention to that.**

 **I'm honestly still quite tired after getting back from school, so I have nothing else to say other than thank you for reading, constructive criticisms are always appreciated, I hope you have a great day today, and see you next time~**


	5. Unanswered Questions

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I'm happy to announce that I've officially finished writing the last chapter of this story. Of course, I still have to do some editing, but it's all overall "done", you know. Man... so it took me about 2 months, give or take, to write an entire story... Who would've thought?**

 **So, umm… enjoy!**

* * *

 **Beta:**

 _ **FeugoFox42.**_ **Check out his work, they are amazing. Definitely worth your time ^^**

* * *

 **CHAPTER V**

 **Unanswered Questions**

* * *

"You're… wearing my coat."

Blake gave a sly smirk at her partner, wishing she wouldn't be able to detect her nervousness.

She would've worn her own coat if it wasn't tattered.

She wouldn't have worn any coat at all - and wore a sweater or a turtleneck - if not for her… recent change.

It was hard to keep her tail from moving. If she were to wear her normal clothing, then everyone would, sooner or later, see it.

So she hid it. Using Yang's coat.

She wrapped it around her waist like a belt - admittedly, it hurt a little, but she could handle a little pain - and covered it entirely using the coat.

Sure, she looked a little silly wearing her partner's oversized, brown coat, but it was better than the alternative.

She masked her worries through an amused stare. "Didn't you say I could borrow it whenever I want?"

Yang stared back, her confusion doubling. "No… I don't think so."

"It's chilly outside," she deadpanned, her ears swiveling in response to the howls of the winter outside.

"But… we're going to Goodwitch's office, for you to report about the mission," Yang reasoned logically. "We won't be going outside."

Blake's eye twitched. Yang was right. It didn't make sense for her to be wearing this, but what was she to do? What else could she cover 'it' with? A dress?!

Yeah, no. Hopefully, she'd later find a better way to hide her tail, but for now, this would have to do.

"I like your coat, alright?" She scowled at her partner, wishing she'd just let the matter drop entirely. Yang opened her mouth but she walked past her, not wanting to hear it.

She was unaware that, once she wasn't looking at Yang, her partner was blushing tremendously, thinking _oh my dust, she's wearing my coat, is this- what-? what does this even mean?!_

She was frozen in a trance for a couple of seconds before realizing Blake was already far ahead of her. "Hey! Wait up!" She jogged towards her, gazing at her worriedly. She was no longer wearing bandages, but Yang knew Blake was still hurting. "Are you sure you wanna do this? Goodwitch said it's alright if you don't come…"

Blake shook her head, trying not to let it show that the small action caused pain to shoot through her.

She needed information. And a lot of them. She needed to know who had been captured. She needed to know exactly what they were doing - what kind of 'experiments' they were conducting. She needed to know the side-effects of it, and…

And she needed to know if it was too late for her to change herself back…

 _If_ she could even return to normal…

"Yeah, I… I think it's good for us to get some closure." She found a wary pair of lilac eyes, smiling. "Don't you think?"

Instead of Yang trying to understand her, she narrowed her eyes before looking away. "Is that it?"

Blake frowned. "What?"

"Is that the only reason?" Lilac eyes stared straight ahead. "Or is there something else you're not telling me?"

It hurt Yang to say that, to assume that her partner was hiding something from her, but… she was… and… and she was tired of being left out.

She needed Blake to understand that she would always be there for her, to help her with whatever demons were chasing her at night.

"What are you saying?" Blake couldn't help but ask. She… She'd thought that her partner would understand. She'd thought that her partner would be okay with it. Why was she even mad?!

Yang was never like this.

What was wrong with her?

 _Why are you like this, Yang…?_

She reached her hand out towards her partner.

"I'm saying that you keep hiding things from us, it's like you _enjoy_ it."

The hand froze, still inches away from her.

Confusion halted her, keeping her from taking another step, keeping her from releasing another breath.

Slowly, that confusion turned into… a more grim emotion. A more conflicting emotion.

Yang had sounded so… disappointed…

Even after she tried so hard to calm her down, to tell her that everything would be okay. Why didn't-? Why wouldn't-? She just-

Why couldn't she appreciate her?!

She'd been doing this for Yang. Everything about this. All this secrecy, all this panicking- she never hid it for herself! She hid it for her! So she wouldn't worry so much! So she would carry on with her life without a care in the world!

 _I'm doing this for you!_

 _Why can't you see that?!_

Her lips trembled, and suddenly, she felt… hollow. Alone.

 _I thought you, of all people, would understand._

Yang kept walking, slowing down once she realized her partner wasn't near her anymore.

She knew Blake's footsteps were quiet, but they weren't inaudible.

"Blake, you o-"

Her words were cut off by a strong gasp.

 _Oh no…_

Blake's ears were flattened to her skull. Her entire body was slumped down in defeat, making her less like a dangerous huntress and more like… more like a teenage girl.

A teenage girl who desperately tried not to let her tears fall, try not to let it show that she was in pain.

Yang's own lips trembled, uncertain and distraught.

"Blake…"

Her partner didn't look at her. She kept her eyes glued to the floor as she walked past Yang. She tried to reach out to her, only to flinch when her partner ducked away from her like she was going to _hurt her._

"Blake, I-"

"Don't."

The voice was probably meant to be strict and cold… but it ended up trembling and wavering.

And that broke Yang's heart even more.

She watched as her partner stepped into the Professor's office.

She gulped, realizing the damage that she'd caused, running her hand through her unkempt mane.

"I really fucked up…"

And there was no ounce in herself that denied that statement.

Blake was…

Blake was crying because of _her._

"Fuck."

She made her partner cry.

And for what?

For her to not keep away secrets? As if she was obligated to tell her everything?!

Yeah, no.

No. No. _No._

That wasn't how partnership was supposed to work.

That wasn't how friendship was supposed to work.

Blake was supposed to trust her, but…

Wasn't she supposed to trust Blake as well? Trust that she'd tell her when she was ready instead of being impatient and trying to force it out of her partner?!

This mission… This whole White Fang thing and the mysteries surrounding it…

Did it really matter that much to her?

It… It shouldn't.

She… She didn't care about the mission. Not really.

All she cared about was Blake.

 _And I hurt her._

What does it matter if Blake was hiding something from her? For all she knew, Blake could be hiding nothing from her and she was just being paranoid! Even if there was something to hide, maybe that something was never important! Maybe it was better to be kept hidden!

She…

She was supposed to trust Blake…

She was supposed to care for her…

She…

She loved her, and yet…

Yang slammed her head against the wall, hiding her face on it, trying to bury herself from the world.

"Shit…"

Blake… deserved an apology.

Yang looked back at the door separating her from her partner, biting her lip.

 _Welp…_

 _I guess I'm just gonna wait out here 'til she's back._

The idea didn't sound remotely pleasing, but _dammit, this is Blake we're talking about here! I won't be able to forgive myself if I don't try my hardest!_

She then looked back at the intimidating door, the door that held a lot of secrets, sighing again. An idea popped into her head, one that she knew wouldn't guarantee in fixing everything…

But… one that would at least… lessen the strain.

 **...**

Blake told Glynda, quote, unquote, everything.

And she held onto her student's words strongly.

She'd always known Miss Belladonna would take the initiative on this mission; the one who'd gathered the information and did the research. She appeared to be correct.

Her version of how it all went down was far more comprehensible and detailed, unlike the version Yang had given her that night at the Bullhead.

Her teacher, Blake noticed, was not faring very well. Strands of pale yellow hair poked out of her messy bun. Faint but noticeable bags began to form under her eyes. But, most prominently, stacks and _stacks_ of paperwork were… well, stacked on her table, making Blake wince just looking at it.

But she should be thankful for Miss Goodwitch's less-than-stellar state, she supposed… It was easier to give her teacher the impression that she told everything this way.

At one point, one piece of information written on the paper caught Blake's eye, and, when the teacher was distracted, she grabbed it, folded the crumbled piece and shoved it into one of the coat's pocket, all with the skill-set of an ex-criminal. Her teacher didn't even bat an eye.

Glynda listened intently as her student recalled that night from her perspective.

How Miss Belladonna had made the assumption that the base was different, more suspicious and why she'd chosen that base, of all places.

How the members had always _wanted_ to leave, which _would_ somewhat explain how easy it was for Yang to simply waltz in there like she owned the place.

Speaking of, whenever she said the name of Miss Belladonna's partner, the girl would flinch and not-so-subtly look away.

Oh, and there were these dried and hastily-smudged tear trails too.

Something must've happened.

And… she supposed it was her obligation as a teacher to try and assist her students, help them deal with their partnership to strengthen it.

 _After all, lessons can be learned outside of classes._

Once Blake stated that was all she remembered, Miss Goodwitch gave her a look softer than her usual stoic one and asked, "Is everything alright, Miss Belladonna?"

Blake kept herself from flinching. Her teacher's gaze was so intense and knowing... "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Because you're not."

Blake stared at her, paling, opening and closing her mouth, not knowing how to answer her teacher's _very blunt_ assertion. Her teacher's face remained the same, though there was a sense of mirth in her eyes at having caught her student in a lie.

 _Does she know?!_

Instinctively, the 'belt' she had hidden under her coat squirmed.

She tried to keep a straight face. "Yes, I suppose I'm still injured-"

"That is not what I meant." Miss Goodwitch's tone was as lenient as before, but it shut her mouth nonetheless.

There was a long, awkward pause in which the teacher expected the student to say something - to tell her something she'd been hiding - and the student refused to say, refuse to admit she was even hiding something.

Blake sat in her chair, attempting to look as comfortable and as relaxed as possible… _like she had nothing to hide_. Her hands were joined together, fidgeting. Both of her ears would make the occasional flick. She bit her lip and felt both her chest and head pounding, almost in the same rhythm.

She refused to meet her teacher's eyes. And that was what truly gave it away.

"Is Miss Xiao Long doing alright?"

Blake whipped her head towards her, unable to hide her scowl. "Yes. She's fine."

She realized her mistake when she saw Glynda humming in a knowing tone.

Some weight was lifted from her chest. _She's not talking about my… condition_.

But still…

That didn't make everything better.

Glynda held her gaze with her student for a couple more seconds before she broke it, looking up in thought as she leaned back from her chair.

She decided that being sincere was the best approach.

"I've known Miss Xiao Long for quite a while, now, and I can say that she cares a lot about you." The look on the girl's face when she found her that night… it was the look of someone who was lost. Who was without a direction, a purpose.

Miss Belladonna meant a lot to the brawler, and… "You care for her as well."

Blake didn't realize she was gripping the armrest tightly until she heard the faint crackling sound of the wooden material breaking.

She…

She wasn't ready to confront this issue yet. In fact, she wanted to avoid the topic of her partner at all cost.

Yang…

She'd…

What she'd said…

 _How_ she'd said it…

She…

She wasn't ready to think about it. It just… _It hurts too much._

She fought her hardest to not let her tears fall down, blinking rapidly to keep them at bay.

"Can… we talk about something else, please?" She wanted to sound nothing less than professional, but the waver in her voice made it seem like she was whimpering.

Her professor, thankfully, didn't try to pry as she gave her a curt nod. "Very well. What would you like to ask?"

She stared at the older woman, bewildered.

"Ma'am…?"

Glynda knew she was breaking protocol and being unprofessional, but… "It's only fair that you get your fair share of answers after I was given mine, don't you think?"

Blake nodded slowly, her lips still partly parted. Her mind was already constructing a million thoughts, and she didn't care that it worsened her aching headache.

"If…" She swallowed. "If you're certain, Ma'am."

Glynda, with no regrets, nodded. "I am."

The office was silent for a long while, save for the ticking clock, as Blake wisely mulled over what the best question to be asked first was.

"What… What happened to the victims?"

"Victims?"

Blake nodded, more certain than earlier. "Yeah. You've never mentioned them, and… I'd like to know what happened."

Her confidence shrunk at the teacher's expertly-hidden shock.

Again, the room would be silent if not for the ticks of the time.

"... Miss Belladonna. We didn't find any prisoners. Did you mean the criminals which we've arrested?"

It was her turn to stare in agape.

"What?"

"There weren't any prisoners." Her teacher looked downright worried.

Blake's eyes momentarily closed as the flashes of hazy, dark images appeared in her head. There were people there. Faunus. They were being _imprisoned!_ "But- But I saw-"

"What did you see?" Glynda said as she got up from her chair slowly, her fingers gripping the desk tightly and widely, the chair moving backward with a squeak.

It was as if her teacher was speaking to a frightened _animal._

"I _saw_ them!" She stood up strongly, her chair swaying in response. "They were locked up in cells! They were _chained_ , Miss Goodwitch!"

Yet Goodwitch's gaze remained as calculating as ever. "Your memory serves you wrong."

"No, they don't! I saw them!"

"You can't have seen people, Miss Belladonna, because the markings of the cell indicate that it was once occupied by Grimm!"

The clock's ticking was the only indication of the time.

It ticked a few times.

Blake's breath was deep, uncontrolled. Glynda didn't make a sound.

It ticked a few more times.

The curtain was swayed by a particularly strong winter wind. Neither of them had the luxury to shiver.

It ticked again.

And again.

And again.

Before finally, Blake found the remnants of her stoic, calm voice…

"Grimm?"

If Glynda was as afraid as she was, then she was doing a good job of hiding it. "Yes. Claw marks. Destroyed furniture. Reports of roaring and growling coming from the neighbor days before - reports we _should've_ looked further into," she growled that last part before deeply sighing as her head fell down, showing an uncharacteristic moment of… an emotion Blake wasn't ready to identify. "All of those leads to Grimm."

"Grimm…" Blake repeated. There was an odd tang in her mouth. An almost sickening, grueling flavor as the word rolled off of her tongue.

Like a puppet with its strings cut, she dropped back down to the chair, too weak to try an adjust her position, her arms dangling on the side.

Her fight was lost.

The word 'Grimm' floated around her head, almost consuming her mind entirely from hearing her teacher's words.

"We still don't know how they managed to sneak them into the warehouse - in the middle of the city, no less - but… there are no other explanations… no other way to explain your injuries."

No other way, huh? None other than… "Grimm."

Grimm.

Creatures who fed off of negative emotions.

Grimm.

Monsters with no soul.

Grimm.

Monsters who _kill people._

Grimm.

Monsters.

Monsters.

 _Monsters._

"Miss Belladonna, are you alright?"

Heh… How could she be alright?

How could-

She was-

She- She…

 _No._

 _I can still fix this._

"Where are these prisoners being held?" Her hands clenched themselves into fists, and she could feel the fiery determination fueling her again.

Glynda, meanwhile, looked like she'd just been told she was tasked to deal with kindergarteners.

"... You are _not_ seriously asking me that."

Blake blinked before nodding understandingly. "You're right. I'll find out eventually." Ignoring her teacher's baffled look, she asked, "And how are these victims doing?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"The 'criminals'," she spat. "What are their conditions?"

Goodwitch glared at her, and for a moment, Blake was scared she was about to get detention for her inappropriate behavior - though she failed to see how her behavior should be considered inappropriate.

Then, her teacher dipped her head down and released a sigh akin to dying.

"Well, most of them are… fine, as far as I can tell. But there are a few that displays… odd behaviors."

Bingo. "How?"

When Goodwitch stared at her with that furious look, Blake knew she'd pushed too far.

"That is classified information."

Blake resisted the urge to scoff at the _very cliche_ answer.

"Then I guess we're done here."

The professor looked like she wanted to say something else, but Blake paid it no mind, standing up from her chair and turning to leave. The professor had given her all she could give, and, as for the holes in that information… well… _I guess I just have to find out myself._

A brief image of Yang flashed into her mind, looking at her with nothing but faith, faith in _her_ with that stupid grin she'd always found endearing. It went as quickly as it appeared, yet it impacted her more than she'd admit.

 _I have to do this. Alone._

"Blake." She stopped a shy away from opening the door, hand already grabbing the handle. All it took was for her to turn and push and she'd escape.

She didn't do anything, though. She did nothing but listen to her teacher, which she respected and admired, spoke.

She didn't dare turn around, didn't dare look into the blonde's eyes. She was too much of a coward to do so.

"Remember what I said. Your team cherishes you. Especially your partner." There was a pause as her grip on her handle loosened, just a bit. Blake's breath hitched when she spoke again. "Don't say something you don't mean."

She left that room as quickly as possible.

Once outside, every restraint she had seemingly broke, and she cried soundlessly, her head thumping against the dimly-lit corridor wall.

Soon, her body could no longer support her weight anymore, and her legs wobbled as she slid down, hugging her legs and burying her face in them as if she could hide from her life.

She tried to hide her tears, to stop herself from crying in fears that someone would see, that someone would try to speak to her, but after a feeble attempt at ending it all, she found that she could not, and simply… let it all out.

Why?

Why?

 _Why?_

Why was this happening to her? Why was she doing this? Why was she hiding? What was she supposed to do?

Too many. She had too many questions.

Tears kept dripping down, more than Blake thought she was capable of shedding.

She felt so weak and so, so tired. She wanted to stop this- stop everything about this. She wanted things to go back to the way they were before, back when she had nothing to hide. Not anymore. Back when she could tell anything to her team and they wouldn't judge her. Back when she and Yang would-

… Yang.

 _Yang._

Blake hugged herself tighter, the familiar scent of lemonade strengthening, coming from the coat that didn't belong to her.

She tried to breathe in deeply and normally, tried to find comfort in the smell, in the fabric, in the warmth. And… she _did._ But… it was… not as comforting as she would've liked.

In the end, this was nothing more than an article of clothing.

What it was… would never compare to who it belonged to.

Blake's chest heaved and ached as she thought of her partner, her friend- the _closest_ friend she'd ever had.

She'd thought… She'd thought everything was fine.

She'd thought she'd done well in hiding the fact that… well… she was hiding something in the first place.

 _But nothing gets by you, Yang._

She knew she deserved punishment for what she did. If Yang knew what she was hiding, then… she knew she deserved to get yelled at. She knew she deserved to have anger thrown at her. She knew she deserved it, dammit!

But…

Yang… She just…

It was…

It was like she didn't care about her. At all.

And that… That hurt. More than any physical pain would.

Getting shouted at, getting punched at, getting glared at… they were all better than this…

 _It's not my fault._ She hiccuped, her throat feeling weak as if she was actually speaking the words aloud. _It's not my fault, Yang. I don't want to do this to you, to us. I hoped you'd understand. I hoped you'd know._

Clearly, she didn't.

And Blake wasn't sure how to make of-

"Blake?"

Yang stood there, not knowing how to breathe, unable to listen to anything other than the sound of her rapidly, dangerously-fast beating heart, as she stared.

Slowly, her normally mysterious and strong partner lifted her head, Yang's heart feeling like it was being punched when she saw the face of someone who clearly had been crying.

Her heart felt like it was being shot at when those cat ears immediately flattened to her skull as recognition filled her eyes. She pushed herself back, her back fusing with the wall, as that recognition changed into a more complex set of emotions, some of which she could identify as fear, shock, and rage.

The partner faced each other, both clearly exhausted in more ways than one, one still sitting there, too weak to get up, and the other standing a few feet away, too shocked to take a single step.

" _Why_ are you here, Yang?"

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 **News:**

 **Hey everyone! Do you want to read the next chapter now and support me with my writing at the same time? If not, then that's alright! If so, then thank you and please check out my site:**

 **P a treon . com (slash) ClementineDavidson**

 **I promise it's not unreasonably expensive.**

 **I know my current page isn't that amazing, but I'm only starting out and… well… I'd love for you to help me reach my goal so I can write stories as not just a hobby :)**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Well… That was certainly a way to end a chapter. I like how we get to explore Blake's mind in this chapter and really tackle her. This feels like 'the calm before the storm', only, the calm is depressing as flip.**

 **I also am glad I tackled Blake really deeply in this chapter because with all the things that will happen in the next one… I won't get to do it, super not in-depth like this.**

 **I hope I didn't bore you with this chapter. I planted even more seeds and did a little exposition/info-dump there because… well… there needs to be, both for the main characters to finally get some of their questions answered, and for you, my audience, to understand everything fully.**

 **Of course, I didn't explain every single detail. I purposefully kept some things from being spoken out by Glynda, but that was only because I didn't think she'd know and because I wanted you to figure it out yourself. Mystery and all that.**

 **Overall, I like this chapter. I like having to write Blake slowly melt down like that. It feels like it's a slow chapter, but really, it's not.**


	6. An End to a Day

**Author's Notes:**

 **So, this chapter has always been one of my favourites. It's intense and mundane at the same time, and I just kicked the tension up to the max, both the real tension and the romance tension. So many things are happening in such little ways that impacts the story in great ways. This is why I love writing, this right here.**

 **Also, I want to give a shout-out to FeugoFox42 for helping me out with Chapter 11 'til the end. At this point, he's not just my beta reader anymore.**

 **Anyways, enjoy~**

* * *

 **Beta/Editor/Co-Writer:**

 **FeugoFox42, check his stuff out or else you'll regret it ;)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER VI**

 **An End to a Day**

* * *

It… It hurt.

It hurt more than anything.

To hear her partner, her friend… the girl she loved…

Speaking her own name in such an accusing, _scathing_ way, like- like she was a _danger_ to her.

The red nose, wet and fresh tear trails, glossy amber eyes; it all suggested that she wasn't in the best state. That she didn't mean what she said. That Yang shouldn't take her words to heart.

But… it was kinda hard not to…

Tentatively, she took a step, putting the object she'd brought down on the ground for it to be taken later.

Blake narrowed her eyes slightly, but she made no move to retreat, to get away from her. Yang took it as a somewhat good sign.

"I'm sorry," was the first thing that came out of her mouth, her voice like a breathless whisper.

Blake continued to stare, small drips of tears still freely flowing from her beautiful eyes.

The faunus opened her mouth, then bit it, whimpering and looking away.

She… reminded Yang of a kitten. A small, helpless kitten who was wounded, who had been hurt, who was still hurting.

It broke Yang.

But she couldn't let it show. Not when… Not when Blake was like this.

So Yang pretended to be strong because she didn't know what else to do. Because she couldn't afford to be anything else.

Because she knew Blake needed her to be strong.

Even as her heart seemingly bled and broke and shattered, Yang tried not to think about it - tried not to feel anything as she dipped down on her knees, now eye-level with her partner, who had her face buried.

The hiccups and sobs were muffled, she noticed. It served to ruin her heart even more.

Blinking away the hot tears, she extended her hand forward, only to freeze a shy inch of touching the smooth skin of her partner.

"Blake..." She swallowed, realizing how much her voice was trembling and tried again, hoping she could control her voice better. "Blake, I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. What I did, what I said- I- I was being a total douchebag. Gosh, I-" She held her head with her palm, punching it lightly. "I was stupid, Blake. You- You never deserved that, any of that. And, I- I- I'm sorry."

She was being an idiot.

She didn't know what she was saying.

Words just kept pouring out of her mouth, all of them jumbled and barely coherent, barely making any sense.

She was reduced to a stuttering _child_ and she hated it, she hated herself, yet she seemingly was unable to do anything about it.

She didn't know what to say…

But she knew she didn't want Blake to keep crying.

It hurt her, to see her breaking down like this.

It hurt her more to know that she was the cause of this.

"Blake, please… I… I'm sorry…"

Suddenly, Blake's head snapped up, and unreadable amber met slightly-startled lilac.

"Why?"

It took her a while to find her voice, so transfixed by the depth of those eyes. So lost in such intensity. "What?" Her voice was nothing more than a murmur.

"Why are you sorry?" Blake's voice was still raspy and trembling and weak, but her eyes were the exact opposite. "You're not at fault. If anyone should apologize, it should-" She stopped, only to wipe away her tears even as more kept trailing down, looking into her eyes with so much hate, hate towards herself, that Yang felt ill just looking at it. "It should be me. I'm the horrible one here… _I'm_ the douchebag."

No. No. _No._

Blake shouldn't- She- She should never-

"Blake…" She choked on her words. Her hand reached out towards her for the second time, only for Blake to shake her head and look away. Limply, it fell. Just like her heart.

"I'm… keeping something from you. Something important. And… And I don't know why…" Blake's voice broke even more. She bit her lip and sobbed as more tears fell, and Yang wondered why she hadn't pulled her partner into a comforting embrace. "You deserve so much, Yang. So much more than… than me, than this, than… _us."_

"No." Blake stared at her, brows slowly furrowing and she started to speak. "Don't you _dare_ say that to me, Belladonna."

Blake was surprised beyond words.

Yang was, as well. She was surprised by her own intensity. By her own words.

"What I did to you was such a shitty thing to do. Yeah, it was wrong of you to hide something from me, but the way I responded isn't any better. We're…" She deeply let out a breath, closing her eyes. When she found her partner's eyes again, she was nothing but resigned. "We're both in the wrong. We're both douchebags here."

Despite the weight of the situation, Yang's lips couldn't help but curl upwards. Just a tiny bit.

Blake's parted lips trembled. Her ears were perked up and directed right at her.

Yang bit her lip and hesitantly reached out… one last attempt. One last time.

Blake kept staring at her, not noticing the hand that was slowly closing in on her, not until it made contact with her damp cheek, and even then, all she did was lean towards it, putting her hand on the blonde's own, her touch lighter than a feather, her skin softer than silk.

Yang broke into a smile. It was nowhere near as sunny or as bright as her usual trademark grin… It was much more genuine, much kinder, and much more loving, and Blake was almost taken aback by the honesty of it all, not fully believing that this smile, this one-of-a-kind smile, was meant for her.

Blake's eyes trailed down from that warm lilac eyes to that cute, slightly-red before settling in on that lips… those soft, dry lips…

"Blake?"

She was pulled out of her reverie, her heart skipping a beat when she realized she was closer, much closer to Yang than she was before.

Hesitantly, she looked up, unable to form words as those wide lilac eyes stared down at her weak, trembling self.

She sniffled once… and acted without thinking, pulling her partner into a hug, doing all she could to erase any of the distance between them, wanting to just be comforted by Yang's presence…

A simple hug…

This… wasn't what she wanted…

This was far from what she wanted…

But…

She couldn't _have_ what she wanted…

And that…

That hurt…

That she could never be with Yang…

That she would never be good enough for Yang…

That Yang would never _want_ to be with someone like her…

So…

She hid from all of that. Or at least tried to.

The embrace she was burying herself into… it hurt, because… this… this was all that she could have. And they would never be anything more than this…

 _How can a hug be so painful?_ She wondered.

Yet she didn't pull away.

How could she?

It was… It was _Yang._

Blake tackling her into a hug staggered her, but that was her only delay. In mere seconds they were standing upright, Blake leaning all of her weight towards Yang, still too much of a mess to support herself. Yang kept one hand on her head, coaxing the weeping girl into the crook of her neck as her other hand rubbed circles on the girl's back. Both of Blake's hands gripped her vest tightly, trembling, knuckles turning white.

But Yang didn't mind.

This was her partner, after all.

Wait… No…

Blake was…

Blake was far more than just a partner…

Far more than just a friend…

 _I…_

 _I love her…_

 _Dammit, I really love her…_

It was inevitable, she supposed.

She'd been in love with Blake for a long time. She just… She was just afraid to admit it…

All this time she'd been able to keep it a secret, to hide it, even if only barely… but now…

Her feelings had grown too strong for her to ignore, to the point where it was _impossible_ to do so.

Yang loved her. More than anyone. More than any _thing._

She loosened her grip when she felt Blake pushing herself away from her, the tears stopping long ago, only so she could look at her in the eyes. The blonde protectively kept her hands where they were, though she stopped rubbing those soothing circles.

She already knew what her partner was going to say long before she opened her mouth.

"Yang, I'm so-"

"Don't." _You're my everything. I love you too much to let you suffer alone. I'll gladly do anything for you._ "You're my partner, Blake. It's my job to look after you."

Somehow, Yang managed a smile.

And somehow, Blake smiled back. It was weak, but at least it was there.

The disappearance of Yang's warmth ached, and Blake wished she could stay that way forever, but… she couldn't.

She watched as Yang bent down to pick something from the floor, eyes widening when she realized what that 'something' was.

Yang stared at her bashfully as she held the two cups in her hands, shifting her weight from one foot to another. "It's ice tea… I know you prefer it hot - and it is better considering the weather - but they didn't have it there at the cafeteria… I hope that's okay."

The cafeteria was on the other side of the building. Yang willingly walked that far for so long only to give her this. All for her. "It is," she forced out.

Yang blinked, then smiled at her, looking down on the two cups, her eyes narrowing slightly as she figured out which cup was which.

Blake brought her hand to her mouth, stifling a giggle at the blonde's dumbfounded expression, Yang managing to utter a soft, precious "Umm" sound.

Wordlessly, Blake grabbed one of the cups, her hand brushing with her partner's for a brief second.

She smiled at the cup. It was Earl Grey. Her favorite.

Yang stared at her, tilting her head slightly. Before she could ask, Blake explained, "Enhanced senses, remember?"

She lightly tapped her nose for effect.

"You mean your undying love for leaf water?"

Blake rolled her eyes almost instinctively but froze, looking at Yang again and finding it hard to breathe at that same smile.

That smile…

Blake didn't know what to make of it.

"It's… no different than your caffeine water."

The humor was forced. They both knew that. Yet Yang barked a laugh anyway, immediately casting a gentle shove on her shoulder.

"At least my _extremely delicious_ caffeine water keeps me pumped!"

They stared at each other for a moment, their eyes communicating what their mouth could never. They were tired of this silly feud. Neither of them wanted it to go on anymore.

They still had so much to talk about, but… for one night, maybe they could just pretend that… everything was the way it used to.

"Really? Then why do you keep sleeping on Professor Port's class?"

"Can ya blame me? The old guy's a master when it comes to keeping students bored! They should give him a trophy or something!"

They walked together, side-by-side, heading towards their dorm.

Yang was loud and boisterous as she talked, her steps heavy and could be heard from a mile away, her sunny demeanor seemingly lighting up the dim hallway, her stride and posture screaming confidence.

Blake, meanwhile, was the exact opposite. Her steps were silent without her noticing, her words more direct and blunt. She was less talking and more listening to what her partner had to say as she took the occasional sip of her tea, throwing in a comment every now and then.

"You know, I'm convinced Professor Port's semblance is the ability to put people to sleep." Blake tapped her chin and looked up in thought, humming. "Maybe that's why everyone keeps sleeping in his class."

Yang whistled approvingly, mindlessly wrapping her arm around the bookworm's neck to pull her into a crushing hug. "Man, that is a good theory! We should report this to Ozzy! Maybe we can have him replaced with someone who's… not Port."

Blake glared at her scoldingly, pushing her away with one finger to the blonde's temple. Yang made a show of being off-balance, Blake rolled her eyes. "Yang, can you show a little respect to your hard-working teacher?" She blinked once before regarding the blonde with a judgmental stare. "And 'Ozzy'? Really?"

"What? It fits!" Yang defended, looking like a child as she pouted and stomped one foot. "Plus, don't you think you're going a little too far there?"

"How so?"

Yang stared at her with such a serious look that Blake almost took her seriously. Almost. "I think you're preaching to the choir by putting 'Port' and 'hard-working' in the same sentence."

Blake rolled her eyes, almost failing to hide her snickers. Almost. "Yeah," she giggled, "almost as bad as mixing up 'Yang Xiao Long' and 'hard-working'."

"Hey!"

Blake burst into laughter. And the sight of her partner being so free and so happy erased all of Yang's annoyance, even _if_ she was a hard-working lady who deserved to not be insulted.

For a while, Yang kept staring, soaking in every detail, committing it to memory.

Blake was beautiful…

So, _so_ beautiful…

Suddenly Blake stopped, eyes widening before they clenched shut, hissing.

Her drink fell to the ground as her hand reached out to grab her head.

The red carpet was stained brown just as a loud gasp pierced the air.

"Blake?" Yang's own drink was forgotten as she threw it away, grabbing both of the faunus' shoulders and positioning her so she would be face-to-face with her. "Blake?" she asked again, a little louder, a little more urgent. "What is it? Should I- Should I get you to the infirmary?"

"No." Yang was briefly taken aback by just how extreme and desperate Blake sounded. "No infirmary."

She wasn't relenting, however, not when Blake looked like she was in serious pain. "Blake, it'll be okay, you-"

" _No._ They'll- They'll know."

Yang's legs weakened for a moment. The grip she had on Blake's shoulders tightened. "What do you mean they'll know?" she asked- no, _insisted._

Blake didn't answer. Yang wasn't sure she was even listening at this point. Her eyes were sewn shut. She bit her lip so hard Yang could've sworn she saw blood. She breathed so harshly as if it hurt just to do so.

Blake was suffering.

And she couldn't do a damn thing about it.

"Blake… Please… Don't do this to me."

Yang pulled the girl into an embrace, hopefully giving her partner comfort that she crucially needed and maybe even receiving one in return…

Slowly, slender, feeble arms encircled her waist.

"Blake… Please… You need help…"

Those arms hugged tighter, and she felt Blake shaking her head, her black hair tickling her face.

"Please… I don't want you in pain… It _hurts_ to see you in pain…"

Blake kept hugging her, entrusting her enough to let her support her weight.

Despite knowing it was the right thing to do, despite knowing it was the responsible thing to do… Yang didn't bring Blake to the infirmary.

Despite knowing that it was her job as a partner… She stayed that way, holding Blake, keeping her in her arms, wishing the pain to go away, intent on letting her partner share some of her pain.

Despite knowing that it was what a good friend would've done…

She didn't do it.

The right and wrong of it all, her duty as a huntress, her job as a partner and friend… Yang abandoned it all… just so she could simply comfort the girl… _the girl that she loved._

After a long, _long_ while, that scarily-familiar blinding pain receded, and Blake found that she wasn't as anxious as she really should be.

She soon would find out why.

It was the scent that came first. A sweet scent reminding her of lemons and mints and something more…

Then, it was the touch. Something soft and warm was pressed against the side of her face.

And… it was the vision that gave it away; seeing that familiar shade of gold tresses right in front of her face.

"Hey, hey, Blake, honey, you doing alright?"

The words didn't quite register with her. "What?"

"Okay, yeah, stupid question." Blake wasn't really willing to push herself away from the comforting embrace, but… somewhere in the back of her head, she knew she had to. So, she pushed away… very reluctantly. She was met with a concerned pair of lilac eyes. "Blake? What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, just… a headache, from the concussion."

It was a lie and Yang knew it. Blake bit her lip, trying to ignore the way her heart dropped when the blonde sighed. "Yeah… Sure it is."

"Yang…"

"No, Blake, just…" The blonde took a step back. "Whatever it is you're hiding from me… I don't care. I don't care that you're hiding something from me, and I don't want to know the reason. You're…" _You're my Blake._ "You're my partner. I shouldn't expect you to tell me every single detail, that's not fair for either of us. Its just isn't right. So…" She closed her eyes for a moment only to open them back, showing just how much she meant each and every word.

"I'm not mad at you. And I know you'll tell me when you're ready, and if you won't…" _Then I'll be hurt by it._ "Then it's okay too."

Blake stared in silence. Nervousness began to pool in her stomach as she wondered if something went wrong.

But that nervousness was forgotten…

When Blake threw herself into Yang's arms, embracing her.

And they stayed that way for a long while, uncertain and fearful of many things, but loving each other too much to give in to those dark emotions.

 **...**

Yang kept eyeing her like a hawk even as they neared their dorm, narrowing her eyes at every one of Blake's movements as if expecting her to suddenly fall unconscious.

And Blake didn't have the energy to be annoyed by it. Nor did she feel like she had the right to be angry towards Yang, not after everything the blonde did to her… not after everything she _didn't_ do in return.

" _I'm not mad at you."_

Blake's ears perked down and she tried to look anywhere but the blonde.

" _And I know you'll tell me when you're ready."_

Would… Would she really?

… No.

She didn't think so.

She… She wasn't like her partner.

She didn't have Yang's bravery, her relentlessness. She didn't have her beliefs either, she couldn't possibly believe everything would actually be okay, unlike her sweet partner.

" _And if you won't… then it's okay too."_

No. It could never be okay. She saw it in Yang's face. For a brief moment, it cracked, showing Blake just how much she was in pain, how much she was tired of being played around, how much she didn't want to have her feelings toyed with.

Blake looked up, finding her partner opening the door slowly, making sure there were no creaks or squeaks that would alert their team. The blonde took a peek inside before turning to her, half-whispering, "They're asleep."

"Good. They need it." They might be better at hiding it than Yang, but Blake knew both Ruby and Weiss were worried for her well-being as well. She smirked when Yang failed to muffle a small, cute yawn. "We need it too."

"Fine…"

Together, they entered the room with little-to-no sounds, though Blake was, obviously, far more silent and graceful than her partner with no night vision nor delicate hearing.

Blake headed to the bathroom, sighing in relief when Yang didn't bat an eye on her, merely grabbing her sleepwear for her to change. The faunus considered warning the blonde not to strip naked in front of her teammate and little sister but thought better of it.

Once inside, away from Yang, away from _everything_ , however…

Blake's facade dropped.

The tail that she'd been (literally) keeping under wraps poked out of the coat, swishing freely for her to see.

She headed to the mirror, grabbing at the sink, looking at herself closely.

She tilted her head to the sides, checking if there were anything different about her.

That pain…

That was the exact same pain she'd felt before, back when… when…

Blake gulped, catching her own tail and examining it, wondering if maybe its length or size had grown.

No…

Nothing.

It was the exact same as before.

 _Maybe… Maybe nothing's changed, this time…_

That small suggestion was enough to relax her, momentarily…

That was... until the sleeve of her coat hung back due to her movements, showing her her upper arm… along with the smooth, small hair that was poking out of it, attached to it.

 _The hair that wasn't there before._

Blake kept staring at it, wondering how no one had noticed- how she _herself_ hadn't noticed- how _Yang_ hadn't noticed.

 _That's… That's right._

 _Yang's coat hide this…_

 _It protected me…_

Some of her worries were washed away. Gently, she grabbed the fabric by the collar and brought it up to her face, inhaling deeply, a somber smile etching her face.

 _She protected me…_

The scent of lemons calmed her, even if momentarily.

Tentatively, she rolled up her sleeve, gulping when she saw all of that hair…

 _No… They're not hair… They're… They're fur._

Blake knew she couldn't wear her normal outfit now. She couldn't even wear her yukata to sleep, with how loose that clothing was.

She…

She needed to hide.

An idea formed in her head, one that was terrible and would likely cause more suspicion to arrive, but…

One that she could only come up with… on such short notice.

Opening the bathroom door had never been more terrifying, but she did it anyway, somehow.

Yang sat near the heiress' bed on a chair, already on her normal sleepwear despite the harsh weather, playing with what looked like Ruby's scroll. _That's odd, why can't she use her own scroll? Oh, right, it's missing..._

Curious lilac met uncertain amber.

Slowly, that curiosity ebbed away into one of mirth.

"You know, I get that you're in love with my coat and all, but wearing it to _sleep_? Now _that's_ borderline-obsessive."

She, instinctively, glowered. "Shut up."

The smug grin on her face was replaced by a more honest, not to mention troubled smile. "No, really, what's wrong?" she asked as she stood up, walking over to her partner.

Blake hid her hands in her pocket, feigning nonchalance while also subtly hiding 'the new change'. "It's just cold, is all." Which wasn't a complete lie, seeing as how the snow had been dripping colder and bigger and the wind had been blowing harsher. She even heard the rumors of an upcoming blizzard.

Yang frowned and muttered mostly to herself, "You know, if you're cold we can…"

"We can what?"

Yang was taken aback by the fact that Blake could hear her, mentally slapping herself because _duh! Extra package of ears!_

"No, no, nothing! Nevermind!" she half-whispered half-shouted, waving her hands frantically to show that it was no big deal and that it was just a stupid suggestion.

Yeah, a stupid suggestion involving them sharing their warmth by cuddling and being so close to one another and their foreheads _touching_ and-

"Al...right." It sounded more like a question.

"Yeah. It was a stupid idea." Yang sighed. Damn hormones.

Then, they stared at each other again. It was hard to see with the sun setting long ago, but… Yang didn't need to see clearly to know that… something was troubling Blake.

Yang's breath hitched when she was being pulled into an embrace.

Blake was… Blake was hugging her.

And… it was a loose embrace... _I better fix that_ , she thought to herself, strengthening the embrace by wrapping one arm around her partner's waist and the other resting on top of her head.

She didn't care that much, not when it came to hugs. Hugs and hugs, after all, and no one should question it, no one should take it for granted.

"I'm sorry, Yang."

… Why was her partner apologizing? What was there to apologize about?

She was confused. She always had been. But tonight... _it's different._

"Don't be. I'll do anything for you." She let that last part slip. She… She didn't mean to say that, she- she-

"Me too."

Blake's words caused her to forget how to breathe. Did… Did she hear that right?

"Blake?"

She couldn't see her partner's face as it was buried on her shoulder.

All she could do was hear her words…

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You made me realize what it means to be alive. You gave me the strength I needed to stop hiding."

Yang's heart skipped a beat.

"But… But I thought…"

A low, rumbling chuckle. "You thought that I did it out of my own volition?"

She nodded.

"My sweet Yang…" The nickname gave her shivers. Not in a bad way. "I suppose it's partly true, that I chose not to hide anymore. But… you were the one who showed me that I had a choice in the first place. You… You were the light when I was surrounded in darkness…"

Yang didn't know what to do. Should she- Should she tighten the embrace even more? Should she say something in return? What could she possibly say? What did Blake even mean by those words? Her heritage was the most important aspect of Blake's life, and she'd just revealed that Yang, _of all people_ , was the one who made her proud of it.

What should she do?

Suddenly, Blake pulled away, the black tresses tickling her nose. Yang's hands were still glued to her. She didn't want to let go, even when it was better if she did.

When Blake looked at her… she didn't look happy. Not in the slightest. No. She looked… sad. Remorseful. Ashamed. There was hatred and bitterness there, too… and they were directed at herself.

What should she do?

That hug… It didn't feel like a good hug, the hug people give to each other when something incredible had happened. It was… It was a hug to show just how grateful Blake was towards her, how much she appreciated everything Yang had done for her…

It…

It was…

It was a goodbye hug.

 _What should I do?_

Yang froze yet again when something warm and sweet were pressed against her lips.

It was only for a brief second… but…

It was real.

It had happened.

The unthinkable.

Her lips were parted and she was too afraid to move. Blake looked up at her again with that face that made her heart ache, the only difference being the adorable shade of pink tinting her cheeks.

 _What should I do?_

"We'll… talk more in the morning." Yang wasn't able to see her, with her turning, giving the blonde the view of her back as she walked to her bed, pulling the covers over her as she faced the wall, emitting a deep sigh. "Rest well, Yang."

For a while, Yang stood there, her legs seemingly unable to take a step. Maybe it was creepy, to keep staring at her own partner for such a long time, not saying anything, but… she found that she didn't care.

Rest… sounded like a good idea. She was exhausted in more days than one.

They'd talk tomorrow… That was what Blake promised.

Talk… sounded like a good idea too.

A couple of seconds later, Yang was on her own bunk bed, facing the ceiling. She gripped her blankets but didn't pull it up. The cold never bothered her, after all.

Yang relived the moments that had passed, the memories that took place in her dear heart. They swerved into her head randomly, the only thinking linking all of them being that Blake was in each and every one of them.

Giving Blake her tea, watching as a grateful smile graced her lips before she took a sip.

Watching as Blake tried to figure out a way to solve the problem, searching for one last piece of the puzzle.

Blake giving her a short kiss.

Seeing Blake in a sickly-state, her coat torn, blood everywhere, surrounded by the White Fang, her pulse weak-

Blake.

Blake.

 _Blake._

 _What should I do?_

She didn't find sleep. Sleep found her in the midst of trying to figure out what everything meant. It pulled her restless self into a dreamless sleep, however light and uncomfortable it may be.

 **...**

Amber eyes shot open as a gasp flew by her mouth.

She was sweating profusely, yet she was freezing at the same time.

Slowly, she pulled herself into an upright position, gazing her surrounding to make sure that it was somewhere between very late and very early and that all of her teammates were sleeping soundly, oblivious to her inner turmoil.

It was that same pain. _Again._

And this time…

Blake knew what had changed…

She could _feel_ the difference…

It was in one of her most sensitive parts…

The part of her that she once hid from the world…

Slowly, shakily, her hand reached up to touch her ear, only to flinch away at the fur that was much rougher and sharper than it normally was. She tried one more time, not flinching at the unfamiliar texture of her own feline ears, realizing that, by the sense of it, her ears had grown in size and became much sharper.

Blake's eyes shrank as she was forced to deal with one crucial fact:

She didn't have much time.

She sprung from her bed, greedily taking breaths. Her entire body was shaking in fear. She- She didn't know what was happening to her- She didn't know when all of these changes would stop occurring- She didn't know what was happening anymore!

 _Which is why I need to find out._

Suddenly… Blake was calm. Calmer than any rational person should be. Something inside of her… had changed. She couldn't put it into words… She… All of her fears were numbing down… All of her worries…

Maybe it was the adrenaline… Maybe it was because she knew what she had to do… _Maybe…_

She stopped shaking. She stopped twitching. She was calm. She was in control.

She knew what she had to do, and it fueled her. It was the only thing keeping her going.

She was about to leave the room when she stopped.

Slowly, she walked back to her own bed, reaching under it before feeling the texture of a very familiar object. She looked at it for a long moment. Why she kept this and not throw it away, she didn't know. Maybe it was sentimental to her. Maybe it was because, deep down, she knew she could never truly escape from it. Maybe.

She went to the bathroom to redress herself before leaving the room that held so many memories.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 **News:**

 **P a treon . com (slash) ClementineDavidson**

 **Holy crap! I actually did it! I actually reached my goal! Thanks so much guys!**

 **I plan to make my page bigger and take this more seriously, so I'll need your input: What do you think I should do with my page? Should I start giving writing tips like Couer Al-Aran or... what? If you have any suggestions or anything at all, don't hesitate to tell me :)**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **So, yeah...**

 **That ending is... an ending.**

 **And Bumblebee finally kisses. It's about darn time!**

 **See you next week (if I don't forget to update!)**


	7. Tick Tock

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys, sorry for not posting the week before. Things have been quite... hectic. Not in a bad way, of course, but it really was hectic.**

 **Enjoy the Chappy~**

 **Oh, and FYI, the title of this chapter is supposed to be the sound of a ticking clock. You know, "tick tock tick tock"... in case you haven't noticed... which I doubt.**

* * *

 **Co-writer/Beta/Editor: FeugoFox42**

 **Check out his stories... pretty please with cherry on top (?).**

* * *

 **CHAPTER VII**

 **Tick Tock**

* * *

Professor Goodwitch was overworked. From the moment Blake had stepped foot into that office earlier, that much was obvious.

She was dealing with… things. Things that obviously needed her full attention. Things that would distract her from paying any attention to Blake.

Which was why she was confident she wouldn't get caught when she snuck into Beacon's prison cells.

The school had built it underground. It wasn't for keeping criminals, it was more-or-less a safe-keeping, in case something happened. This was a combat school, after all. Anything could happen.

Or, in this case, that 'anything' meaning a peculiarly ill White Fang member which the staff of Beacon decided to place here for 'research purpose'...

Blake reread the paper again, one that she'd stolen from Goodwitch's office.

Supposedly, there should be a Faunus locked up, one that showed signs of aggression, loss of memory, delusions and even _hallucinations_ … _what?_ Apparently, only a few members that were captured that night showed these symptoms. They all classified it as symptoms of isolation; their time working with the White Fang had erased their sanity.

The place was less of a cell and more of a hospital room with bars. The ceilings were painted white and the whole place actually looked well-kept… for a prison, that was.

The cells were all empty save for one in the far corner, and Blake had to wonder _why does it have to be the furthest away?_

Her concussion wasn't getting worse… but it wasn't getting better either. She couldn't understand why. Her aura was strong, it should be able to heal completely by now, the doctors even said so! Yet… It was getting harder and harder to think... like there was some kind of wall separating her from fully thinking as rationally and logically as she normally did.

She made sure her footsteps weren't soundless so the criminal would be alerted to her presence, but not loud enough so someone from the outside won't be able to hear her.

She was dumbfounded that there were no guards guarding this place.

 _Then again, this is a school, not an actual prison._

Blake honestly wasn't sure if the people who they locked up were actually criminals, not all of them, at least.

She knew that she saw something down there. Something important.

Her memories got hazier and hazier as time passed… now… now she couldn't even tell if any of them were real.

She remembered seeing people - Faunus - locked up. She used to be sure of it. But now… she was starting to second-guess herself, starting to second-guess everything that she believed had happened.

 _Which is why I have to get to the bottom of this._

When she neared the cell, her footsteps slowed down, and she felt hesitance creeping up on her.

She… didn't want to do this. She didn't want to go near this person. She didn't want to do any of this. She- She wanted to go back to the dorm room and just curl herself back to sleep. Or maybe she could even just tell her team everything- seek out to them. They'd help her. They were her team.

But… she couldn't.

Blake stopped, a good distance separating her from the metal bars. She didn't want to be closer to this person than she had to. She didn't want to take any chances.

The person was stirring, she noticed.

Blake wondered if she should be the first to initiate contact.

"You…" She was slightly startled from that voice alone, not because it was filled with hatred or madness or anything remotely close, but because it sounded worn-out and ill and… sad.

The Faunus propped himself up, then leaned his body against the wall, facing her, his movements stiff, as if his body was made out of metal.

"You recognize me," Blake breathed, a small puff of air spreading in front of her face. Even wearing the coat, she shivered. The cold was harsh, much harsher than yesterday. She couldn't imagine how this man was feeling. Maybe that was why he looked like he could barely move.

The whistling wind echoed into here.

There was a spark of something igniting in his eyes - something close to clarity - and he suddenly shook his head. "Oh… Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I didn't-"

"You didn't mean to _what?"_ growled Blake as she took one huge step, the metal bar almost touching her nose. He wasn't the only Faunus panicking in this room.

He didn't seem to hear her, his hands clutching his head as if it was about to explode, his body trembling. "I'm sorry. It's so hard. He just won't let me. He controls me, he controls all of us-"

She pounded on the bar, the shrieking sound piercing her ears. "Who does?!"

She was sick and tired of this. Of all of this. She- She had no time to waste. She needed a name, dammit! She needed to know everything! Every single detail! She needed to know why she was like this, why she was changing! She needed to know everything! _Everything, dammit!_

Someone had done this to her.

And she was going to find this person, make them turn her back to normal, and then… they were going to _pay._

The Faunus hugged himself, wishing he could hide from her. Like he was this helpless victim and she was the bad guy.

How… How _dare_ he.

"He… He won't let me say. He doesn't allow me." He kept muttering those words. Over and over.

Blake's eyes twitched.

She…

She had enough of this.

She was… She was angry. So, _so_ angry. At everything.

Her teeth were gritted. Her posture hunched back as she breathed heavily.

It was winter and yet she didn't feel cold anymore. There was something… intoxicating brewing inside of her. Something that had never been there before.

She wondered if this was how Yang felt every time she tapped into her semblance.

Blake rested her head against the cool bar, her fingers now twitching, her breaths becoming harsh pants.

Yang…

Guilt stabbed her in the chest and she roared, clutching the metal bars with her strong, vicious hands, her grip hard enough to turn her knuckles white, and to dent the material.

She needed answers. And she needed them _now._

There was a loud, ear-shattering sound as the dented bars were torn away. She quickly threw it away, snarling.

There was a small part of herself, a thought in the back of her head that was surprised, maybe even horrified of herself, wondering how she was able to do what she did, wondering why she was the way she was…

She shut those thoughts out.

She didn't care much. All she cared about was getting answers. All she cared about was finding who was responsible and making him fix _everything._

"Oh, no… It has begun already."

She kicked the remnants of the bars that separated her from this _nuisance_ , striding with heavy steps, stopping only to grab him by the collar, lifting the much bigger man up. "Shut up with those stupid riddles! I need answers! Now!"

The way he looked at her unnerved her. It was as if she was some sort of alien, a creature from another realm. "You're… You're his latest creation…" Much to her agitation, he barked a laugh. "You'll suffer a worse fate than us."

Her hand clawed into his neck. Her nails, stronger and sharper than ever before, squeezed into the fragile skin, drawing blood.

"Stop talking nonsense!" roared the maddening Faunus. A part of her was a little taken aback by her own voice, how different she sounded, but the dominating part just did. Not. _Care._

He was unfazed by the presence of her sheer anger and by the oxygen leaving him, the only indication of him hearing her words was the twitch in his eyebrow. "It's not nonsense, my dear," he spoke softly, warily, as if he was speaking to a wild animal.

Her pupils shrunk into slits.

"It is!"

A loud sound pierced the air, cutting her from speaking any more words.

She staggered back, releasing him, who held onto the wall for support.

Slowly, she touched her own cheek, recoiling at the stinging sensation the contact created.

It was like she was pulled back from some kind of trance.

She looked back at the man, who was looking at his own clawed-hand. Slowly, they retreated out of sight.

 _What… What happened?_

She… She'd strangled him. And… She didn't plan on releasing him anytime soon. In fact, she wanted to squeeze harder.

 _I…_

 _I could've killed him._

It felt like a blow to her guts.

Blake didn't recognize herself. And that scared her, more than anything.

"If this is all nonsense, then why are you hiding your ears?" Her wide eyes found his somber ones. His tone was as gentle and calm as before, but his words… he might as well be stabbing her with how painful they were. Her hidden ears flattened against her skull, quivering. As did her hidden tail. Slowly, her fight seemingly left her body, her hand hanging limply by her side, her legs barely able to support herself. She could only stare at him helplessly, not wanting to move. "You're not like us, even when we're all like this because of him. You… You have less time. You might never return, not like us."

It took her a while to find her voice. "What are you saying?" she croaked, surprised at how different she sounded, how tired, how weak.

"I'm saying you're on a time limit." His tone became more urgent. "And if you don't hurry up and try to heal yourself then you'll be stuck as a…"

He couldn't finish the sentence as he looked away.

But he didn't need to finish the sentence.

She understood.

 _She knew._

For a long while, all that filled the air were the sounds of their heavy breathing, drowned out by the winter wind.

It felt like she was drowning. It got harder and harder for her to see any light as she sunk deeper and deeper. It felt like, if she were to cry out for help, her voice wouldn't be heard by anyone, not through the thick, murky water.

She was suffocating.

He kept talking. And she kept standing there, her mind barely there anymore. She heard him, but she didn't- _couldn't_ listen to his words. Not over the shrill sound of her frantically beating heart. Not over the cloud blurring her mind. "Both physically and mentally, you'll… change. He's… He's never tested it out on anyone. You're his first. You're supposed to be more dangerous than all of us. Hopefully… Hopefully, it's not permanent. Hopefully, there's still a way to fix you."

She sunk to her knees, her head lolling down, her wide amber eyes unseeing.

There was this cynical part of herself that laughed, claiming that _you've always been destined to be a monster. I didn't think it'll be quite literally._

Another part of her begged to not listen to his words, _he's delusional! He's- He's insane! There's no way- There's no way- No way- No way!_

Her head was heavy as she lifted it up, trying to focus on the man in front of her, who continued to look at her with that same, hopeless look.

A thousand thoughts swarmed her head. She opened and closed her mouth several times. In the end, all she could ask was a meek question, one that she hoped won't be answered "Why… Why are you helping me?"

There was a deep, resounding sigh before a trembling voice spoke. It sounded so old and so, so exhausted. The voice alone weakened her. "Because I never want to be this way. I never wanted to be a part of the White Fang, much less be used as a _guinea pig_. I don't want anyone to suffer the same fate as me." There was a short pause. "Especially not someone who tried to save me."

She looked up to find his eyes, her breath hitching at his small, bitter smile.

"So it _was_ true…" He nodded at her grimly.

"Don't lose faith. Don't give up. But most importantly," he stared at her dead in the eyes, his severity staggering her back. "Don't give in to the rage. _Ever._ "

He… He was right.

She still had time. She still had a chance. A chance to make the madman _pay._ A chance to _end_ all of this.

When she looked at him again, there was sorrow in his eyes. Her claws were extracted, her ears twitching rapidly. She had one goal in mind, one mission. Only one thing mattered, and the rest… the rest could just _fuck off._

"I need a name," she snarled. When he didn't immediately respond, she yelled, "Now!" She didn't care if someone heard her, she could just knock them unconscious anyway. Even if those people were her team. If they got in her way, then they would have to _pay._

"He makes me unable to. All I can tell you is that he's a fox Faunus and that he's _insane."_

Almost on instinct, she pummeled her fist into the brick wall. "Dammit!" This would all be so much easier if she just had a name. Why must everything be so difficult!?

"Remember what I just told you."

She looked up at him, eyes widening as she realized what she was doing, how she'd just tossed away his warning.

She took deep breaths, trying to distance herself from the burning rage. Slowly, her nails unsharpened, and her eyes began to clear away from the mist of anger.

She was far from okay. But… at least she didn't have the intense desire to destroy everyone and everything.

 _And it'll only get worse._

She closed her eyes momentarily, taking one last deep breath before opening them back, straightening herself, relaxing the tension in her muscles.

She was no longer aimless.

When she spoke, her voice was hardened and didn't quiver. She wasn't blinded by her emotions. Not for the time being.

She had no time to waste. No time to be furious.

"You can't tell me his name, but maybe you can tell me where he might be hiding..."

 **...**

"Call her!" screamed a panicked Yang.

"I am!" replied the less panicked Weiss.

"Well then why isn't she answering?!" snapped the frustrated blonde.

"Why are you asking me?!" questioned the equally-frustrated heiress as she pressed a hand on her chest, offended.

Ruby stepped in-between them, extending her hands to each of them. "Girls, calm down!"

"Don't tell us to calm down!" the Freezerburn pair said, causing the young girl to let out a small 'eep!' and wisely scooted away.

The morning started in a less-than-stellar way when they all realized that their book-loving teammate was missing. Still in their sleep-wear - and not really fully awake yet - they all panicked, wondering where their _injured and helpless_ Faunus had run off too.

Unsurprisingly, Yang had _not_ taken this news well. In fact, Ruby could've sworn she saw a hint of red in those lilac eyes.

Yang practically _vibrated_ as she waited for the call that never came.

Weiss' scroll kept ringing until, eventually, a robotic voice answered it, telling them that the owner of the scroll didn't answer.

Ruby cringed as her sister fell down to Blake's bed, barely concealing her frustration as she moaned. "This. Sucks." She then muttered in a lower voice and volume, probably thinking her team wouldn't be able to listen, "And just when I thought she'd finally open up to me again."

Ruby was curious. _Huh… did something happen to them?_

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Of course, Weiss was more irritated and hot-headed, even though she was cold… _wait, does that make her cold-headed? Is that a real word? I feel like that should be a real word._

Ruby shook her head, trying to dispel any distracting - and potentially groundbreaking - thoughts and turned to her partner with a light frown. "Weiss. Behave." She blinked before turning to the tallest girl in the room. "But seriously, Sis, what are you talking about?"

She was the team leader here. It was her job to be responsible and care for her teammates, and that _definitely_ included knowing every single detail of some sort of personal problem harboring between the two partners. At least, she thought it included that.

Yang looked hesitant, biting her lip and looking to the side as she spoke. "Well, I, umm… I don't think she's ready to tell you two yet…"

Weiss, ever-the-blunt, quipped, "Apparently, she's not ready to tell you as well."

Ruby shot her partner another glare, which was weird since Weiss was usually the one doing all the glaring. Apparently, her own partner was more socially-dense than she was.

She then turned to her big sister, already forming an apology, when her words died in her throat. Yang… didn't look so good. She looked terrible. No, she wasn't sick, but… Ruby could tell she was hurting.

Yang didn't radiate her usual 'cheery' aura, the kind that was bright and always lifted up the mood, no matter how bad things were getting. Her eyes were downcast and duller than usual. The brunette was shocked to see that there were bags under her eyes. _Did she sleep at all last night?_

"Call her again." Weiss blinked and almost flinched at how _un-Yang_ the tone sounded. She knew something was up the moment those two got back from the mission. Yang had been reluctant to say anything apart from the obvious, and Blake had been… well… Blake.

She hadn't realized how much it affected the normally-cheerful brawler until now.

Weiss nodded and attempted to smile at her before pressing the call button again despite knowing it was futile.

The tension in the air decreased as the device kept beeping, their worry soon replaced by resignation. Yang's shoulder slumping more and more, the light in her eyes shining less and less.

It was silent - save for the ringing and the wind blowing outside, fluttering the curtain - until Ruby spoke in a forced jovial way. "C'mon girls, it's probably nothing! I mean who knows, team? Maybe she's just going on a date with Sun or something!"

"Ruby!" chastised the heiress, slapping her lightly by the upper arm.

The dolt was unbothered and continued blabbering, unaware of _her own sister's_ rapidly withering state. "What?" She shrugged. "Sun obviously likes her! And they look so cute together!"

"Ruby Rose stop speaking this instant!" she hissed, pressing her hand on the girl's lips, immediately glancing at the saddened blonde who reminded her of a kicked puppy.

The brunette grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away only to ask, "What? Why're you mad?!"

Wasn't it obvious?! "Because you're being a dense dolt!"

"Guys-"

"No, Yang!" She held out one hand, showing the blonde her palm, while she showed her partner her index finger, reprimanding her. "Your sister is stepping out of the line this time!"

"What line?! What are you talking about?!"

"Guys-"

"I'm talking about your sister's obvious feelings for her-"

"GUYS!"

"Feelings?!" Ruby tilted her head to the side. "What do you- oh… Oh, _boy_."

Weiss stared in mild amusement as the gears in the dolt's head turned, her face morphing into different emotions with each second before settling in on realization and slight guilt.

"Weiss, try calling her again," Yang suddenly said, her tone urgent.

"Wha-"

"Just do it!"

Weiss knew if she didn't do as she said, well… it wouldn't be quite a peaceful morning. "Fine…"

Reluctantly, she called their feline friend again, ignoring the blonde's intense stare and the brunette's sympathetic one.

Suddenly, Yang shot up. "There! Do you feel that?" Before they could even answer, the blonde started rummaging through Blake's blankets, not noticing the jaw-slacked glances she was being given, until she pulled something out with a small "Aha!"

The 'something' turned out to be a scroll, it seemed. A scroll that was vibrating. And on it was Weiss' profile, as well as two options; answer or decline.

"Blake's scroll…?" muttered the dumbfounded Ruby. "What…?" Scrolls weren't really important, per se, but it was something most people should bring everywhere because, otherwise, how else were you going to communicate with your own team while you were out. Why would… why would Blake not bring her scroll? Did she forget? Was she planning on going on a quick trip (Even though it'd been half an hour)? Why didn't she tell any of them? Leaving a simple note would've been enough.

"I'm… going out."

She snapped her head to meet her sister's eyes, unsatisfied to find those lilac eyes still trailed down, deep in thought. "Yang-"

But Yang was already making the move to leave. "She's my partner. My responsibility. And she _needs_ to explain herself." She glanced at her rich partner, wondering what the heckity heck _that_ meant. Weiss, ever-the-apathetic, could only offer a shrug. "Who knows?" The blonde chuckled in a weird, forced way that sounded more sad than it did happy, which was weird because laughing was supposed to sound happy. "Maybe she really is just making out with monkey boy."

Ruby bit her lip, wondering if she should say something. She helplessly looked at Weiss then back at her sister to find the door already closing.

"I didn't say making out…" she mumbled dishearteningly, one hand reaching out towards the direction of her sister, even as her footsteps faded away.

"You might as well be."

Her arms gave out as she looked at her partner helplessly. "Why… is Yang acting that way? If she loves Blake, can't she just ask her out?"

Weiss placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, rubbing circles on it, an action they both knew soothed her.

"Because she's afraid to ruin what they already have," murmured Weiss, her breath tickling her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "What they've worked so hard for. But… most importantly… She's afraid Blake won't return her feelings." Ruby turned to face her, cocking an eyebrow, causing red to travel to her cheeks. "What?"

Ruby's eyes were soft and understanding and she had this amused, almost shy smile. "Is that why it took you so long to ask me out?"

Her eyes were soft and understanding. She knew the answer already, but Weiss still had to say in a whisper, "Yes… I suppose so."

Ruby looked back at the door as if she could still see them. "Do you think they'll ever be together?" Both the curiosity and the concern was evident in her tone.

"I'm not quite certain," she said truthfully, bringing one hand to her chin. "They'll either like us or… they'll hide their feelings and… move on." Hopefully. Probably. Unlikely.

She'd seen how the two interacted with one another. It was _far_ from a silly little crush. Even when they did their best to hide it, Weiss still caught on. It was _that_ serious.

"It's weird. I don't think Blake even likes Yang that way."

Weiss barked a laugh, startling the younger girl. "Ruby, you have _no_ idea how wrong you are."

The brunette glanced at her, her head slowly tilting to the side. She rubbed her head self-consciously. "Wait, so… Blake likes Yang too?"

"More than anyone." She was certain of it.

Ruby's eyes widened at the bold declaration, waving her hands frantically. "Then- then-!" She slapped a hand to her face, her shoulders slumping. "Ugh! Girls are _so_ weird."

Weiss stared at her. "Ruby… You're a girl."

Ruby scoffed. "Yeah, and I _am_ pretty weird, in case you haven't noticed."

… Good point.

"You're saying that I'm weird?" Weiss crossed her arms.

Ruby's grin was far too cheerful for her taste. "Duh."

The heiress flicked her forehead, causing her to stumble and flop down on her bed, her face the epitome of embarrassment at having been caught off guard. "You're lucky I love you."

She bent down, planting a soft kiss at that same forehead she abused earlier. Ruby hummed in pleasure, leaning into her touch. After a while, she froze.

"Umm, Weiss?"

"Yeah?"

Ruby leaned back and ducked her head anxiously. "I think you forgot to tell Yang she's going out in a tank top and shorts?"

Weiss smiled a Cheshire grin. Ruby could've sworn there were _horns_ poking out of her partner's head. "What makes you think I forgot?"

"... You're mean."

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 **News:**

 **With high school happening, I won't really have that much time to manage this site too much, and I thank you guys for helping me out :3**

 **P a treon . com (slash) ClementineDavidson**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **The interrogation scene was hard to write because I wanted it to really "up" the tension, show how the drug/** **serum will affect you after some time, and make sure to put Blake at the brink of everything, make sure to repeatedly stomp her to the point of total, utter desperation.**

 **... wow, that sounds weird when I write them out loud.**

 **You know, when I first started out this story, I didn't know if I was going to include WhiteRose as a couple at all. I didn't see the need. But then the characters go and do their own thing and I** **realised the potential it has on the story. So yeah, WhiteRose isn't there just because I want them there. They serve an actual purpose.**


	8. A Blizzard

**Author's Notes:**

 **Sorry about the late update. Stuff happens and stuff is still happening. It won't influence the writing in any way, since I've finished it way back in early January (I think), but it may influence when I'll update this story. Sorry, but when I say stuff is still** **happening, I meant "Code Red" kind of stuff, the "Oh no" deal, the "I think my life is about to change for the better" story.**

 **Anyways, enjoy this short, lovely, fluffy chapter that will make your day better and make you happier~**

* * *

 **Co-Writer:**

 ** _FeugoFox42._ Check out his work or, umm... die, I guess.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER VII**

 **A Blizzard**

* * *

It was so aggravating, searching for her partner in this giant old building with an unnecessarily-complicated layout and an _even-more_ -unnecessarily set of stairs. Seriously, why weren't there any elevators here?! They weren't in the medieval times, dammit! Surely the mysterious, influential, eccentric Headmaster could afford to give his own students - who were practically his _children!_ \- a less exhausting means of transportation in the building that _he_ also worked in!

What also happened to be frustrating was the stares the students gave her whenever she asked if they'd seen her partner. Why were they looking at her like she was a freak? She was wearing her normal pajamas, not naked!

Worst of all, most people had said that they saw that bookworm heading for the exit.

 _The exit._

Blake had planned to leave the school without telling her own _team!_ Without telling _her own damn partner!_

Dammit, Blake! Dammit, dammit, _dammit!_

She should've known her partner would be gone the moment she closed her eyes. She should've known her partner would try to escape from her, from talking about what had happened. She should've-

"Blake?"

There she was.

The girl that had messed with her without even knowing.

Rushing outside without a care in the world.

"Blake! Where the hell are you going?!"

The girl didn't hear her even as she ran towards her. Or maybe she did hear her and she pretended she hadn't. The latter sounded _much_ more believable.

They were both on the avenue when the blonde finally caught her by the wrist, tiny snowflakes waving down, dancing around them, painting the trees and grass and the ground beneath them different shades of white.

Blake extended her claws on instinct, readying herself to strike at whoever _dared_ touch her… and gasped, quickly retracting them when she was met with a pair of furious lilac eyes.

That surprise morphed into annoyance in a heartbeat.

"Wha-? Yang?! _Why_ are you out in your sleeping clothes?" She tugged her hand once, twice, trying to free it. It was a fruitless effort. She grunted. "Let me go-"

"No fucking way!"

She stared at the angry brawler with a raging look of her own, ignoring the way her feline ears flinched at that booming voice.

"Yang, I don't have time for this!" She knew where to go. She knew where to look. She knew everything it took for her to end this all!

To her dismay, Yang pulled her closer, the strength in her hand alone outmatching all the strength in her body.

Yang was powerful. She'd always known and loved that. But right now… right now was the first time Blake ever loathed her partner's strength.

Yang forced a laugh, licking the edges of her canines which, in her eyes, suddenly looked far sharper.

"Oh, so you don't have time to explain yourself to your own partner?!" growled Yang, her breath heavy. "That's _great,_ Belladonna! So fucking great!"

Before Blake could react, Yang grabbed her other wrist, leaving her almost immobile. She gritted her teeth, wondering, "Why are you so mad?!"

She could understand disappointment and perhaps even frustration, but _this?_ This was stepping over the line! _What's the matter with you, Yang?_

"I don't know, maybe because you _left_ us without saying a word!?" Blake flinched and the fire inside of Yang roared louder. Damn _right_ she should feel guilty. "And- wait, are you wearing your bow?"

The grip on Blake's hand loosened, her eyes unable to be torn away from that cursed fabric laying atop of Blake's head, hiding what was important to her, hiding what, in a way, made her who she was.

Blake used her partner's shock to quickly tore herself away from her, taking a step back, hugging herself.

The shock painting Yang's face… She hated it. She hated it so much. She wanted it _gone._

What right did her partner have to judge her?! Why was she acting this way?!

Blake didn't understand, but she knew she disliked and didn't appreciate how her wild partner was behaving right now.

" _Yes,_ Yang," hissed the cat Faunus. "I _am_ wearing my bow, in case you're too thick to realize! And I didn't leave, I was just-" She soundlessly gasped, quickly covering her mouth with her hand, taking another step back.

That… That was close…

What…? Why did she say that? She- She'd never done that before, letting a secret she'd been hiding just _slip out_ like that…

Blake stared at Yang. Yang stared at her bow, thousands of emotions flickering underneath those unnaturally calm lilac eyes. It scared Blake if she were being honest. The brawler had always been such an open-book, wearing her emotions on her sleeve for everyone to see, yet now… she stood almost calmly as the light snow drizzled from above, painting her mane a lighter blonde.

A shiver past through her when Yang's eyes found hers. They were unnaturally blank. Just as her voice when she asked, "Why are you wearing your bow?"

Why…?

 _Why?!_

 _Because I have no other choice, that's why!_

She hated wearing it, she hated hiding something she'd come to be proud of, but she. Didn't. Have. A. _Choice._

And Yang made it seem like she enjoyed putting it back on. Like she enjoyed having to hide who she was. And she _hated it._

Her mind screamed at her to run, to leave from this silly argument that was not worth her time, and to focus on the mission. Focus on what was important.

Yet against her own better judgment, Blake took one step forward, knowing the only end this could lead to with both of them furious and never prone to admitting defeat.

"What…" She looked down for a moment, her mind racing in a million, unsorted thoughts. She then snapped her head up to look evenly at her partner. "What does it matter to you?!"

"You know very well why it matters to me!" Yang pointed an accusing finger toward her, pushing it against her chest. " _You_ told me! We both know what that damn thing meant! Tell me right fucking now!"

"I can't!"

Yang grabbed her by the shoulders and was practically screaming at her. "Why the hell not?!"

"I just _can't,_ alright!" she screamed back, crying in pain when the blonde's fingers dug into her skin. "Yang, stop! Y-you're hurting me!"

Yang herself gasped at Blake's meek, pleading, fragile voice. She immediately released her partner, apology ready to be spoken only for her to remember what her partner had done to her. "Well you're gonna have to! You owe me! You _promised._ "

"It was just a stupid promise!" Blake defended, casting a shove on her shoulder. She didn't budge, yet her eyes widened in a pain that was not psychical. "Why do you care so much?!"

"Why do I- are you _seriously_ asking me that after what you did last night?!" Yang was full-on screaming right now, causing Blake to grit her teeth at the pain the volume caused on her ears.

" _What_ are you-" And then it hit her. What she had done last night.

Blake couldn't move. The words died in her throat, and… and…

The sensation of warm, soft lips pressing against her own burned in her mind; a memory she could never forget.

Blake… didn't know what to do.

Yang was hugging herself, looking down. She… She looked so fragile, with the cold wind rustling her hair, her bangs covering her face. She looked so far away even when she was so, _so_ close.

Blake tried to reach out only to have her heart shattered when the blonde took a step back, shaking her head, her shoulders trembling.

It hurt.

It hurt more than anything.

"Oh… Yang, I'm so sorry."

Yang didn't look at her, didn't even move. She stayed that way, silent for a long while. Blake hated the silence.

"Sorry?" she eventually spoke, her voice timid, weak; the opposite of how she usually sounded. The opposite of how she was _supposed_ to sound. "What are you sorry for?"

Everything, she wanted to say.

"For… assaulting you like that… invading your personal space… being intimate with you…"

 _Why?_ Why had Blake done that? Why had she been so stupid?! Kissing Yang- it wasn't right. She'd broken her own partner's trust. She'd ruined their relationship, everything they've worked so hard! And for what? For relishing in her own selfish needs? Fulfilling her lust, a desire she knew she should never give into?

Blake was her partner. Her friend. She was supposed to be good for her! She was supposed to be someone Yang was able to trust, able to depend on, able to lean into when Yang needed her most! Her pillar of support!

She…

She wasn't supposed to kiss her like that. She- She…

She had no excuse…

She shouldn't try to excuse herself…

What she'd done… it was unforgivable.

There was no fixing it.

They would never be the same.

… The worst part about it all was how much she _enjoyed_ it. How much she didn't want the moment to stop. How she'd gladly do it again…

Pressing her lips against Yang…

It felt nice… It felt really nice…

But it wasn't supposed to feel that way.

 _She_ wasn't supposed to feel that way.

In the end…

She never really had a chance with her best friend now, did she?

At long last, her partner's melancholic purple eyes met her own, each filled with their own turmoil.

"So… kissing me was a mistake for you, huh?"

Blake hesitated, only for a moment.

"It is."

Even if it was a mistake she loved doing. Even if, at the time, it didn't feel like a mistake.

Yang's eyes widened, her lips parting and shaking, making Blake wonder why she was so upset because it _was_ the truth, wasn't it?

Yang- Yang never wanted her to kiss her.

She never looked at her that way.

She saw her as nothing more than a friend… _right?_

Suddenly Yang straightened herself, releasing a deep, cold breath, trying to look strong, trying to be strong. Yet her arms were still trembling and Blake saw the beginnings of tears forming in those misty purple eyes.

"No, Blake, just… No." Her voice wavered when she spoke. Blake couldn't help but flinch, knowing it was all her fault. She was the one causing Yang to be like this. She was to blame for this. "You can't toy with me like this, Belladonna. I'd thought… I'd _hoped_ … Forget it, it was stupid anyway. A stupid, _stupid_ fantasy that'll never come true…" Blake reached out to her but stopped when she spoke again. "The least you could do was offer me some kind of explanation. I guess you're too selfish to do that, huh?"

Pain.

A pain indescribable and awfully familiar.

It burned her chest.

It clouded her mind.

 _It hurt._

… But not as much as Yang's words were.

All Blake could see was red. And all she could feel was white, blinding pain. She blamed it all on her partner. Her stupid, naive, childish _brute_ of a partner.

How…

How could Yang not see?!

How could she not understand?! After _everything!_

" _I'm_ selfish?! Everything I've been doing, everything I've been hiding from you, it's all for _your_ safety! For _your_ comfort! When I try to tell you all you did was shut me off and tell me not to think about it! Because you didn't want to handle it! Because _you're_ too ignorant to be able to handle the truth!" She ended her explosion by shoving Yang. Her partner stumbled back, maybe because she really pushed her with such strength, maybe her partner was too shocked to see it coming.

Suddenly, Yang growled, and for a moment, Blake thought she saw flame erupting from her mouth.

Yang took two steps forward, closing their distance. Blake felt her partner's hot, heavy breaths… then felt herself losing balance and staggering back as Yang pushed her.

"Don't lecture me about ignorance, Belladonna!"

The claws started to come out of her as they prepared themselves to be used. Blake clenched her teeth, wanting so badly to fight back, to push, to beat her partner into understanding everything.

The pain, it was growing stronger now, and she was surprised Yang still hadn't noticed. Maybe it was because they were fighting. Or maybe… maybe Yang did know and she ignored it, not caring anymore…

 _This isn't worth it,_ a voice told her. _You're just wasting time. Focus on what matters. This petty fight isn't worth your time. You don't have much time._

She needed to go…

She needed to go _right now._

She ran her nails - or maybe they were claws, she couldn't tell - through her hair, slowly turning around to leave, but not before looking over her shoulder and murmuring, "Don't _be_ ignorant, Xiao Long."

The pain was still there, yet, compared to the more prominent pain of hurting Yang and having Yang hurt her… Heh. It was nothing.

She was turning, changing, whatever it was called.

She had to go.

She had to go.

 _She had to go._

… Yet she hadn't so much as taken a step.

What a coward she was.

"Why are we fighting, Blake?" Yang choked. She sounded like she was about to cry. Or maybe she was already crying. Blake didn't dare turn around, knowing that if she did, she wouldn't be able to leave.

Instead, she looked ahead as if she was seeing something more than trees and snow and an exit from her school. As if seeing some kind of hope, some kind of solution to fix all of this when, in reality, she… she didn't know if she could even _be_ fixed.

"I don't know…"

She hissed quietly when something sharp sunk into her bottom lip, eyes widening when she realized that something was her own teeth, now sharper and larger and more dangerous.

This…

This should've broken her…

"Blake… please… I need to know… I _need_ to."

Yet instead, what broke her was that voice, the voice of the girl she loved, begging her such a simple request… begging her the only thing she couldn't give.

Her trembles were hidden underneath the comfort of the warm coat.

"Blake… please answer me… look at me… at least… at least tell me where you're going so I won't have to worry… please… _please,_ Blake… I _can't_ take this anymore… Don't do this to me again…"

Yet she couldn't really do that, could she?

Blake looked up, wondering if the snow could wipe her tears of sorrow away.

Telling the truth had never been her forte, had it?

"I'm… going to… to Sun's place." And just like that, Blake hurt her in a way she never thought possible. "I'm… sorry." She wasn't sure if she'd even said that last part. She wasn't sure it would make a difference.

It took Yang too long to find her voice. She could only pray Blake couldn't hear how defeated she sounded. "I don't mean that much to you, huh, Blake?" Her bow twitched. That was the only indication that she had heard Yang, and even then, she wasn't sure. "Blake, please… please look at me… I need to see your face, Blake… I need to see you…"

Everything was still for a long while.

Yang could've reached out to her, could've touched her… but she didn't.

Instead she just… watched… as Blake shifted, then stopped again, as if she was indecisive, before moving forward, not even sparing her one last glance.

She watched as Blake's figure gradually became smaller and less clear.

She watched as Blake left her…

Not doing anything about it.

Wow… She… She really was that pathetic, wasn't she? To think Blake would ever return her feelings… To believe there was something more than friendship between them…

Heh…

She'd always known it would end up this way…

But it still hurt.

Despite knowing Blake wouldn't be able to notice, Yang kept her stinging tears at bay. She didn't know why.

Blake was…

Blake was gone…

Nowhere to be seen…

She was leaving so she could be with that monkey boy…

She was leaving…

She left…

She left her…

Yang sunk down to her knees, making no attempt to move. Her head drooped down. She had no energy left to try to keep herself from breaking down… Or maybe she had that energy and she was just too tired to channel it.

The snow had stopped drizzling.

Everything was as quiet as they could be as she soundlessly wept.

Yet, oddly enough, it felt like there was a roaring blizzard inside her heart.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 **News:**

 **Yay! P atreon stuff! Currently unable to do much with my page due to "personal emergencies", but thank you anyway.**

 **P a treon . com (slash) ClementineDavidson**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **See? Such a lovely, sweet chapter. Doesn't it just make you want to die of cuteness?**

 **This chapter was surprisingly easy to write. I mainly just let the characters take control of the narrative, let them say and do what they want to do, and this is the end-result. It feels really organic, in my opinion. But I don't know, maybe this entire chapter is horrible and I just don't know it, what do you think?**


	9. Howling for Help

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey, so you know in stories they sometimes do that thing where they jump from one scene to the other, and the two scenes as a whole are connected, and it feels really cool and it makes the story more interesting?**

 **Yeah, well, I tried to do that here.**

 **... Sorry if it failed.**

* * *

 **Co-Writer:**

 ** _FeugoFox42_. Seriously, everyone. Go check out his work!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER IX**

 **Howling for Help**

* * *

No one questioned why she was wearing sunglasses indoors in the winter afternoon. She supposed her team sensed she wasn't in the best of moods from the moment she slammed the dorm room open and barged into the bathroom, locking herself up until she had better control of herself.

Was she not sad anymore? No.

Was she not mad anymore? _Hell no._

But, compared to how much of a wreck she was that morning, she was far tamer right now. She could say with confidence that she wouldn't break anything… Okay, that might be over exaggerating. She'd probably break _something_ , but she was sure she wouldn't do it to the point of no repairs, at least.

Her emotions… she'd muted it, suppressed it, partly because she didn't want anyone trying to ask her about what happened…

Though mainly because it'd be awkward for her to break down again in her teacher's office in front of the ice princess and her baby sister.

She'd been able to hide her sorrow - doing so by hiding her puffy red eyes underneath her dark shade of glasses - but she simply couldn't try to keep her anger at bay, especially not because Professor Goodwitch had called Ruby, the team leader, requesting all of them to meet at her office as quickly as they could without telling anyone… because _that_ wasn't suspicious as hell.

Especially since Goodwitch wanted them to come and meet her _hours_ after her partner's disappearance that morning.

 _Wow._ What a _big_ coincidence.

Nothing bad would ever come out of that teacher's mouth, she was _sure_ of it.

So, currently, she stood, crossing her arms as she glared at her teacher, not caring whether the woman noticed or not. Weiss was at her side, looking poised and perfect and professional as ever, the complete opposite of her sister, who sat down on the folded chair, fidgeting and moving and panicking like there was no tomorrow, facing the oldest woman in the room, who was sitting in her chair, her hands tucked under her chin in that typical 'teacher' way.

Goodwitch… was expecting Blake. She could tell. The moment only three of them walked in here, she'd raised an eyebrow, a brief expression of shock and disappointment filling her feature at the absent of the member for a moment before she expertly hid it over the face of stern and stoic.

Yang had caught it, though. She'd caught it well, every little detail. She knew Glynda wanted Blake moreso than the other members. She had a suspicion of why that was the case, as well. And she… she didn't like it. Not one bit.

She'd looked at each and every one of them with that critical emerald eyes, yet for once, Yang wasn't intimidated by them. In fact, she felt that the professor should be the one intimidated.

"I apologize for inviting you all here without warning," she began, and Yang resisted the urge to scoff. She could hardly call this 'inviting'. If they hadn't come here, she was undoubtful the woman would come barging into their room without a care nor permission.

"It's… it's okay, Professor Goodwitch," her sister said, even though it was _far_ from okay, in Yang's opinion. "we're happy to help with… with whatever it is you want us to do."

 _No,_ Yang thought. _No, we aren't_. But she didn't say those aloud. Not yet. She was interested in what the professor had to say, what she wanted them to do and why. She knew it must have something to do with their failure-of-a-mission.

So she was content with letting the scene play out, only speaking once she deemed necessary.

For now, she'd have to stay quiet.

"Though, I do have to ask..." Emerald eyes drifted towards her, and, though Yang was wearing glasses, it felt like those eyes bore directly into her own. Glynda stared at her dead in the eye and asked, "Where is Miss Belladonna?"

Her answer was instinctual. "Why do you care?"

"Yang!" She wasn't sure if it was either Weiss or Ruby who had scolded her, but she paid neither of them any mind. Blake was her partner, even if they weren't on the best of terms, she'd still let no harm come to the Faunus.

If Glynda was taken aback by her aggressiveness, then she was good at hiding it. "I care because this matter _involves_ her, Miss Xiao Long."

A beat of silence passed. Yang let the weight of those words fully sink in her head.

Why…

Why would this involve her?

Wasn't… Wasn't this over?

And why…

 _Why didn't Blake tell me anything?_

Her heart skipped one beat.

… Oh, wait.

It skipped another beat, causing the insides of her chest to twist and turn with what she could only describe as guilt.

Blake… did try to tell her, didn't she?

Only…

" _All you did was shut me off and tell me not to think about it!"_

Wearing the sunglasses proved to be a wise idea. They hid the tears of frustration that began to form, stinging the edges of her widening eyes.

Her arms gently uncrossed, falling down, swaying by her side.

Her partner's words rang in her mind, still fresh and vivid as if she really was near her right at this moment.

" _When I try to tell you all you did was shut me off and tell me not to think about it!"_

Back then, she'd been too emotional to really listen.

She was too angry to pay attention.

She was too blinded to see the truth.

"And, if I may ask, Professor… what does _that_ mean?" Weiss' tone was cautious as she took one delicate step, her head slightly tilted down in a means of showing respect.

"It's classified."

"Of course it is," she muttered without thinking, not intending to be hostile but coming off as such.

She could feel her team's gaze boring into her; Ruby's was nervous and scared as if a fight was about to break down, and Weiss' was no doubt irritated by her behavior.

Yet… She also knew they were curious, just like her.

They weren't idiots - Weiss was the most prestigious student in the whole school, for Grimm's sake and Ruby was a damn _prodigy._ They knew something was up. And just like her, they didn't want to be left in the dark. Not when it came to Blake.

"Just…" Ruby looked to her side, choosing her words. Then, she stood up and, with a frown, asked, "What do you even want us to do?" The suspicion in her voice was palpable.

Goodwitch's face hardened and she gritted her teeth. She looked like she wanted to say something but, as moments passed, no words came out of the professor's mouth.

To everyone's surprise, it was Ruby who acted first, her own face hardening in resolve as she stood up and walked towards the exit door.

She didn't apologize to her teacher. She didn't even say anything. She didn't appreciate Miss Goodwitch dodging the questions. This - whatever this was - had something to do with Blake. Blake was part of her team. She was her closest friend. If her teacher didn't want to tell them anything then she was wasting their time.

"Very well. If you seek answers regarding Miss Belladonna, then I'll provide you as best as I can."

Yang quickly faced the older blonde, narrowing her eyes, searching for any sign that might indicate her teacher was telling anything other than the truth.

Ruby and Weiss did the same, though at a much slower pace.

She was looking straight into Yang's eyes, and this time, she couldn't help but squirm under that intense gaze. Glynda's eyes weren't filled with the usual distant and calculating coldness… instead, they were filled with bright sincere and honesty and… something more - wariness, perhaps?

She turned to look at Ruby and Weiss, who had similar thoughts as herself.

It was Weiss who first nodded.

Ruby then nodded as well, though less certainly.

They both looked at her, waiting for her to make the call.

This was her partner, after all. Her best friend.

And even after what Blake had done to her, even after she'd crushed her feelings and tossed them away like it was nothing… Yang knew that, deep down, Blake never meant for it to be that way. She never meant to hurt Yang and vice versa. What happened that morning… She didn't think either of them was saying what they actually wanted to say. There was no real communication there. Both of them were just… angry. And they were directing their anger onto each other, causing them to say things they never wanted to say.

" _Because you didn't want to handle it!"_

There had been a sense of truth to her partner's words, no matter how harshly they'd been said.

All this time, she'd thought… she'd thought that she was protecting Blake, keeping her from throwing herself into that obsessive loop again.

" _Because you're too ignorant to be able to handle the truth!"_

Yang… Yang had thought she was able to handle it, she'd thought she knew what the truth was…

But maybe…

Maybe she was wrong…

" _Don't be ignorant, Xiao Long."_

"... Alright."

For Blake, she'd do anything.

They went back to their previous position, only… there were no longer hesitance, or the need to be polite to their teacher. Not anymore. Now, they all wanted one thing; answers that would get them to help their missing teammate.

And Glynda knew they'd really leave if she didn't tell her the truth. They'd leave to find answers on their own, to search for the truth. Only, to find the truth would mean to put themselves in danger, and Glynda didn't want that. They'd get hurt if they weren't careful.

So… she'd rather have them know the truth from her than from anyone else. It was the only way to keep them safe, for the time being.

"I... want you to find a suspect; the leader of the Rogue Fang-"

"Rogue Fang?" interjected Weiss.

Goodwitch scowled at being interrupted but nonetheless answered, "Yes, Miss Schnee, that is the name I've given this recently-found organization… until I came up with a more accurate name."

"You mean the organization you told me is no longer a threat?" hissed Yang, remembering their conversation at the bullhead. "You know, since you yourself told me that everyone was captured and there's no need to worry." She flashed her a grin far from happy.

They all ignored Ruby whispering to herself, "So, their… fangs are not white?"

Goodwitch pulled her glasses away so she could rub her temples. She knew this would be difficult… but without Miss Belladonna aiding her with the explanation, this was… this was truly difficult.

It didn't help that Miss Xiao Long looked like she was seconds away from exploding.

"They _used_ to be merely a branch of that organization, but the leader wants to fight for a different cause, and that has led them astray from the real White Fang. He wants to achieve a different goal."

"Which is…?" prodded Weiss.

"That, I cannot tell." _Dammit,_ thought Yang. "But I can tell you students that he is dangerous and needs to be arrested _immediately_."

Yang's eyes drifted to the window behind her teacher for a moment, noting that it started to snow yet again. The curtains began to stagger back and forth from the cold wind she didn't feel.

Glynda shuddered. And not from the cold.

Weiss swallowed from the urgency of it all.

Ruby whimpered because it all sounded so serious and so scary and she didn't know if she could do anything…

But Yang…

Yang simply stared, her brows furrowed, her jaw clenched, her hands clenched into fists.

Eventually, her eyes swayed back to the woman. "Why us?"

Ruby and Weiss both flinched at the demanding, pressing tone. They both wished Blake was here with them, knowing that if anyone could calm the hotheaded blonde, it would be her.

"Yang…" muttered the heiress warningly as she put a hand on her shoulder only for the brawler to shrug it off as she downright glared at her own teacher.

"No, seriously, why us!? We're students! _First-year students_! And Ruby is fifteen years old! She shouldn't have to deal with this!"

"I'm almost sixteen…" whispered Ruby, getting a nudge of disapproval from Weiss.

Yang, aggravated, pulled her glasses away, wanting to look at her teacher better. She ignored the shocked faces coming from her team - the gasp coming from her little sister, and the way her teacher's eyebrows rose ever so slightly. "Why are you burdening _us_ with all of this crap!? Why not find a professional huntsman, or better yet, _the cops_ to capture whoever this asshole is!?"

"Yang! Show some respect!" Weiss reprimanded, trying to get the girl to calm down her nerves, wondering where the hell Blake was.

Yang heaved a sigh. Getting worked up wasn't going to get her anywhere. She scoffed and put her shades back on. "I'll show respect when someone starts giving me one."

"Yang…" Ruby didn't like seeing her big sister act this way. Yang was hurting. Really hurting. And she didn't know why other than the fact that Blake and this Rogue Fang thing had something to do with it.

Glynda bit her lip and looked away from a moment, leaning into her chair. "I understand that what I'm doing to you is unfair, but let me ask you this, Miss Xiao Long." Those emerald eyes bore into her own lilac eyes with such ferocity and seriousness that it made her take a step back. "Is it or is it not your job to protect the innocent from harm?"

Yang stared at her, gobsmacked, jaw hanging open.

Glynda narrowed her eyes.

"Answer me."

"... It is."

She nodded approvingly, readjusting her glasses and saying in a matter-of-fact way, "If you won't do this, Miss Xiao Long, then I have no doubt that the innocent will be harmed." She then glanced at the heiress and the brunette, who both flinched at her gaze. "Do you all understand, my students?"

The two of them nodded vigorously, while Yang kept staring at her. Goodwitch found her eyes again, raising an eyebrow. After realizing what she wanted, Yang mumbled, "Yeah…"

"That doesn't explain why you need _us_ specifically," Ruby piped in suddenly, flinching then adding, "I mean, not saying that you're wrong or anything, I mean, you are our teacher and you're older than us and… yeah, I'm gonna stop now."

Ruby's shoulders slumped and, despite the weight of the situation, they all couldn't help but smile at the leader's general awkwardness.

"I need your team because, of all people, you have the best shot at catching this man."

Weiss took a step forward. "And who is this man exactly?"

To their surprise, their teacher suddenly looked nervous, swallowing, as if preparing herself to do something stupid.

Seconds flew by, indicated by the ticking clock.

"I… have no idea."

"What?!" the two sisters shouted, while Weiss narrowed her eyes, her mind already coming up with one or two reasons as to why that could be.

"And, If I may be frank, we have no evidence to suggest this man even exists."

"WHAT?!" This time, it was the three of them who shouted. Not even Weiss could fathom her professor's words. They just made no sense.

"T-then, why are you…?" Weiss muttered, eyes darting down as she frowned. "I don't understand…"

"Professor," Yang said, her temper starting to make a return. "If you don't start talking, then we'll leave. Classified or no classified."

Goodwitch looked down into the many research papers, the many paperwork everyone gave her regarding this whole debacle…

If only she could push them all away from her desk and be done with it.

"Rogue Fang is not the White Fang… It's something worse. Far worse. Something not even the White Fang wants to be associated with. Its goal is to…" She heaved a sigh. Even after what had happened… Even after her encounter with him earlier… She still couldn't quite believe it. "To create a new form of life, a better life form - an evolution, if you will. They believed their kind, the Faunus, haven't reached their full potential. And so, to achieve the superior life form, they must…" Nausea began to form on her stomach. She didn't want to do this, she didn't want to tell her students something as horrifying as this, but… she needed their help. She needed Miss Belladonna. "They must practice… do tests on Faunus without their consent, all for their research… in other words…"

She looked up at them expectantly.

The sisters both frowned at her, knowing that something must be wrong but not yet grasping her words, not understanding where her words were leading to.

Unlike Miss Schnee, who covered her hands with her mouth, her skin a shade paler than usual.

The teacher found her student's blue eyes and nodded.

"Weiss…?"

The girl in question closed her eyes and removed her shaking hands from her lips. She silently thanked Ruby for putting a hand on her own. It was a calming gesture.

After swallowing the bile, she muttered in a hushed whisper, "Human experiments…" She then caught herself. "S-sorry, I meant Faunus. Faunus experiments."

 **...**

 _Come back to her._

 _Apologize to her._

 _Please._

She shut her eyes closed in a fruitless attempt to stop the tears. The avenue stretched out for so long it felt like she was walking backward. Nonetheless, she pressed on.

 _Hurry._

 _Before she's gone._

 _Go to her while she's still behind you._

 _Please._

 _Please apologize._

 _Please come back to her._

Her pace fastened without her realizing. Shutting her eyes proved to do the opposite of what she'd intended as more and more tears fell. She could only wipe them and blink rapidly.

 _You owe her an apology!_

 _You owe her an explanation!_

 _You owe her everything, dammit!_

 _Don't run from her!_

That damn voice. She hated it. She hated that she couldn't get rid of it. She hated how right it was.

Suddenly, her pace slowed. And slowed. And slowed. Until she was rooted in place, her arms hugging herself and her eyes wide.

 _That's right…_

 _I can just… apologize to her…_

 _I should apologize…_

 _She'll… She'll forgive me, I'm sure…_

She was at least a mile away from Beacon, but she was sure she could go back in seven or so minutes if she hurried…

 _Just…_

 _Just end this…_

 _You know this isn't the right thing to do…_

She could imagine herself just… just going back and explain things to her partner, showing what made her act the way she did, showing Yang that it wasn't what she thought…

She knew that, no matter what, they were always going to come back to each other again. Call her arrogant, but she wasn't going to let Yang stay mad at her forever. Yang was hotheaded and sometimes let her emotions blur out logic, but Blake was stubborn and persistent and she would fight tooth and nail so that her partner would at least look at her again.

Oh, they'd fight. And redeeming herself wouldn't be easy. But she was willing to try if it meant she was able to be with Yang again. She'd work day and night, she'd overcome anything and everything just so she could fix things with her partner.

Being able to see Yang smile… smile at her…

It sounded nice…

It sounded _really_ nice…

She made a move to turn…

But then pain shot her entire body, freezing her solid, and the pounding headache returned once more.

 _What are you doing?!_

 _Are you seriously wasting your time?!_

 _You don't have much time!_

 _You need to go as quickly as you can!_

And suddenly she was running in the opposite direction, the image of her partner smiling drifting further and further away from her.

 **...**

The words didn't sink in with Ruby. And when they did, she refused to believe it, slowly making a move to stand, her legs weaker than usual.

"T-that's… that's horrible. Who would… do such a thing?" Experimenting on Faunus, on living beings… Putting all kinds of nasty, weird drugs on them without their consent. Why would anyone want to do that? What would happen if the drugs didn't work?! Were they- Were they okay? What if- What if they weren't okay? _What if they could never be okay?!_

Ruby wanted to leave. And forget this ever happened. And forget Weiss had ever said those words. And maybe go back to their room and cuddle with her girlfriend. And maybe be the big spoon this time.

"Rogue Fang, apparently," Yang said, not at all pleased by what she'd learned, but still eager to learn more, to finally found out what Blake had to do with any of this, why she was so obsessed over it.

"In a sense," continued the teacher, "they have achieved their goals. The test subjects seemed to possess strength, speed, agility, and abilities that no normal person would ever have. Powers that I doubt huntsmen and huntresses could ever hope to rival."

Those words hit a nerve with all the students.

Were… were these monsters really so powerful?

Suddenly, their teacher looked away, pushing herself out from her chair simply to face the wall, to not face them.

The simple act put them on edge.

Their teacher looked so frightened.

"Miss… Miss Goodwitch?"

Glynda didn't look at them when she spoke again. She simply couldn't bear meeting their gazes, couldn't handle seeing their faces when she delivered the news.

"To put it simply… they become monsters."

 **...**

 _You need to go back!_

 _You forgot your wallet! And scroll! And your weapon!_

 _You can't get to any means of transportation without showing your ID!_

Blake growled, pressing her clawed hand to her head in an effort to stop those annoying, irrational thoughts.

She couldn't go back to Beacon. If she were to meet her team - which was a very high probability - then she'd have to explain where she had run off to earlier in the morning!

Plus, she would see Yang again, and…

And she didn't know if she could handle that…

She didn't know if either of them could handle that…

 _You're wasting time._

 _Hurry._

 _Finish this once and for all._

Those three sentences kept replaying over and over again in random order. Her pace fastened. Her eyes narrowing down.

Her eyes widened when a weight stumbled against her leg, forcing her to stop. Looking down, she found that it was a girl, who was now looking at her apologetically.

Her eyes narrowed into slits.

 _She distracted you._

 _She wasted your time._

… _She needs to be removed._

Blake gasped and stumbled away from the innocent, helpless child who couldn't have been older than five, ignoring the weird looks people gave her.

Where…

Where had _that_ come from?

She was no threat! And it was an accident!

She… She was just a _kid!_

 _A kid, for Dust's sake!_

Blake clamped her mouth shut when she remembered that her teeth were a fang as sharp as a predator's, hiding her hands back in her pockets, though not before they went up to touch her bow to make sure that it, indeed, was still there, hiding the extra pair of ears that looked more to be a _wolf's_ ears rather than a cat. The comforting coat was still wrapped around her tightly.

She leaned against the brick wall of a store of some kind, closing her eyes to both try to quell down the head-pounding and to ignore all the strange stares people were giving her.

" _You're… You're his latest creation… You'll suffer a worse fate than us."_

She really would, wouldn't she?

" _You… You have less time. You might never return, not like us."_

Tears burned her eyes. She bit back her sobs and sniffles. She couldn't cry. Not now. Not in front of everyone. Not when she had a mission she needed to fulfill.

" _Both physically and mentally, you'll… change."_

Blake brought her hand up for her to see, using her own body as a shield as she rested her head against the cold brick so that no one would see the monstrosity she had become… the monstrosity she was still becoming.

Mentally… she'd change.

And when it happened… would she even realize it? Was there any way to stop it from ever happening? Was she already changing right now? Would she be a danger to those around her? Would she be able to control herself again?

 _I…_

 _I'm scared…_

" _You're on a time limit."_

She gasped and her body froze. A wave of unsettling calmness washed over her.

" _And if you don't hurry up and try to heal yourself then you'll be stuck as a…"_

And suddenly she was walking again at a pace must faster than before. She was practically running.

 _But you still don't have your wallet?_

The thought didn't bother her as much as it did earlier. In fact, it didn't bother her at all. It didn't matter to her. Nothing mattered except for finding who was responsible and fixing everything.

 _I guess I'll just have to walk._

She needed to be quick or else it'd be too late.

Blake refused to let _anyone_ get in her way.

 **...**

"... What?" muttered Yang, her mind still reeling from what her teacher had said… It couldn't be true… Yet… Yet, it _was…_

"Professor, surely you are mistaken," Weiss said, trying to ease down her own nervousness and looking hopefully to their teacher as if expecting her to say it was all a joke and that they'd been pranked.

Glynda continued to stare at them with grieving eyes and pursed lips.

"M-monsters? Like- like Grimm?" Ruby whimpered, covering her mouth with her hands, her shoulders trembling.

Glynda's eyes flashed with sympathy and she opened her mouth only to close it again, looking to the side. No… She couldn't lie to them anymore. Not when they could put a stop to this. Not when _she_ could put a stop to this. They needed to be given the truth. No matter how bitter it was.

"Perhaps they'll turn into Grimm. Perhaps… Perhaps they'll turn into something worse…"

The thought itself petrified Ruby. Grimm was… Grimm was _Grimm!_ They were the worst of the worst! The very personification of evil itself! And… And for there to be something worse… "Something worse than Grimm…"

She almost fell down if it weren't for Weiss who quickly grabbed her by the waist, pulling her close.

"Professor… Where did you get this information?"

Yang whipped her head to look at the heiress, surprised to hear such a question. She frowned the more she thought of it. That was a good question. A very good question.

Their teacher seemed to know a lot more about this now than she did only yesterday. Moreso, she knew every single detail.

"From one of the test subjects themselves."

Yang's train of thoughts halted.

Ruby refused to look at anyone.

Weiss' grip on her partner tightened.

"And… And you believe him?" questioned Weiss as she took a step back, almost in distrust.

Glynda didn't seem surprised by her actions. If anything, she looked like she'd been expecting that question.

She took a deep breath, straightening herself once more before she began to speak once more.

"I didn't, at first," she admitted. "And even after what he showed me, I'm still uncertain. I don't cling onto his every word," she looked up at them with a slight frown, "if that's what you're thinking. Sometimes his words make sense, sometimes he said things along the lines of 'The shadow lady freed him from his shackles'."

"Then… Then…" Ruby looked down on her own hands then back up at her supposedly-wise teacher, desperately asking, "Then why?!" She couldn't say any more than that. Words failed to pour out of her mouth from the weight of it all.

Yang looked at her in sympathy, thankful that her partner was there to comfort her, especially when she herself was unable to, still trying to wrap her head around all of this.

"Because I know that there is a possibility, small as it may, that it's all true." There was a long pause before she spoke again in a much more resigned tone. "And if it is…" She shook her head, likely erasing that train of thought away, before looking up at them with unhidden determination and desperation. "I can't risk another accident like the Rogue Fang again. I can't risk not looking too deeply into these things and causing another incident like that night when-" She caught herself before she could continue.

All heads turned to the exhausted blonde, who had been unusually silent, her bangs covering her face, preventing them from seeing how she was taking all of this.

The wind outside blew harder, stronger, harsher, and yet she didn't once shiver. She didn't even move.

Finally, at long last, her head slowly tilted up for her teacher to see.

"What… What does Blake have to do with all of this?"

 **...**

 _Walk. Walk. Walk._

 _Keep on walking._

 _Don't stop._

 _Never stop._

 _Not until you've captured him._

 _Not until you're back to normal._

 _Not until everything's okay again._

Vaguely, Blake realized that she was pushing against the crowd, causing more than just one or two people to lose their balance.

Maybe… Maybe she should slow down… just a bit…

 _No._

 _Don't ever slow down._

 _Slowing down means stopping._

 _Stopping means you won't capture him._

 _Not capturing him means you'll be gone._

A part of Blake wanted to argue that slowing down was far different than stopping, but that part… that part was weak, incoherent, and a blur to her.

 _I know where I'm going._

 _That's all that matters._

But… that wasn't all that mattered… a lot of things mattered to her, right? She… She cared about a lot of things…

Like…

Like her partner…

 _Oh, that partner that hurt you?_

 _The one that's too selfish for her own good?_

Wait…

Yang… wasn't selfish…

Was she?

It was… hard to think.

 _Then don't._

She should really argue with that logic, but… she was tired and… she just wanted all of this to be over…

"What the hell's your problem?!"

She was unable to continue on her path because someone had grabbed her shoulder with enough force to let her know they didn't want her to leave just yet.

Blake growled.

And everything started to flicker.

She turned around, squinting her eyes, trying to see who was the man before her, the man whose mouth was moving… and whose voice she couldn't hear.

Oh, wait, maybe that was because of the ringing that assaulted her ears.

The world darkened before brightening again, the busy street switching with a place hauntingly familiar…

"You can't just shove people around like that! You could've seriously hurt someone!"

His words started to blur like she was underwater… and suddenly, his face began to change…

And, to Blake's horror, she was no longer in the streets anymore, nor were there people surrounding her…

Instead, she was in this dark place with cells and Faunus in them… she felt like she'd been here before but she couldn't place when or why…

"Hey! Hey, are you even listening?!"

She slowly turned around - her body heavy, her skin dripping cold sweat, and her heart pumping blood in a dangerously fast pace - and gasped.

Those fox ears looked very familiar.

 **...**

"Yang..."

"What are you saying?"

She ignored her sister's pleas and her teammate's question, looking directly into her teacher's eyes as she felt the rush of her semblance beginning to paint the world into a shade of red, reveling in that familiar burn coursing through her bloodstream.

It was a bad idea to get mad…

Yet even so…

Yang found herself unable to be anything _other_ than mad…

"You said she ties in with all of this. How so?"

Yang took a couple of steps, sitting down so she was face-to-face with the other blonde.

She already knew. From the moment Goodwitch had called them, asking for their entire team to come - from the moment she'd asked where Blake was, she already knew the answer to the question she was asking.

Still, it was nice to finally have confirmation.

She stared at Goodwitch, challenging, _daring_ the woman to try to avoid this topic, to tell anything other than the truth.

"Because Miss Belladonna has always known. From the very beginning. Or, at least," she added, "she's always suspected that something's amiss."

… Goodwitch didn't know how right she was.

At the time, Yang hadn't thought much of it, thinking that it was all just Blake being her usual obsessive self. But… that was far from the truth. Blake had been telling her the moment they spotted that warehouse, and even before then.

" _This branch is different. Too different. They've strayed too much from the White Fang that they themselves don't want anything to do with it. And... it's not just that…"_

Dammit! Damn it all!

Why hadn't she listened?!

Why hadn't she paid more attention!?

It was all right there in front of her - all the clues, all the evidence - and she- she just chose to ignore it all!

" _Don't be ignorant, Xiao Long."_

"That is mainly the reason why I chose Team RWBY," said Goodwitch, who now was standing up, planting her hands on the desk to better support herself. "Miss Belladonna's knowledge and ability to predict where they'll be next, along with the fact that the local police and a few professional huntsmen are too busy chasing the supposed Grimm that were kept hidden in the base. And… even if they didn't have their hands full, I doubt they'll want to carry out this mission. I doubt they'll believe my words."

"What makes you think we do?" snapped Yang. She then blinked and flushed, facepalming. "Oh. Right. Blake."

"Didn't you say every member has been captured?" asked Weiss, who looked equally as uncomfortable as the rest of them, wrapping her arms around Ruby's own, almost as if she was shielding the younger girl. Ruby didn't seem to mind.

"That is what we believe," agreed Goodwitch. "But the victim told me that the leader managed to escape. The man who orchestrated all of this." There was a long, heavy silence before her teacher slowly sat down on her chair. "We need to apprehend him. Someone as dangerous as him… Someone with the capability of toying with the Faunus body and mind…"

"Mind?" questioned Ruby, who hid even more, becoming Weiss' shadow.

Glynda stared at her. "Yes, Miss Rose. According to the papers, The test subject himself has shown to have delusions, unusual lust for violence, tendencies to anger, and perhaps even hallucinations. His condition has worsened from the day before. And, according to him, it won't get better."

It was Weiss who first spoke, her grip on the brunette tightening. Her voice was feeble and weak, like a gasp. "They're… They're losing their minds."

 **...**

 _I'm… I'm losing my mind._

Because why else would she suddenly be in this dark, empty place - wherever this was - when she should be out in the open, surrounded by civilians, safe and sound.

And why else was she so unreasonably angry of the fox in front of her…

 _He hurt you!_

Did he?

 _He's the one who did this to you!_

Really?

 _Hurry! Now's your chance!_

A sudden burst of anger exploded within her, a fury so bright, so blinding, and so, so disorienting that she found herself bringing her hand out for everyone to see, extending her claws even more.

She struck at him.

He narrowly avoided that strike.

She grinned a feral grin, licking the sharp edges of her fangs as she swiped at him again with her other hand.

And then she tried to strike him again.

And again.

And again.

And she was lost in the sickening madness of rage.

 **...**

Losing their own minds…

That was… sickening. Maddening.

What kind of a person would sacrifice others' own sanity? Just for some kind of scientific shit?

Yang didn't understand. She didn't understand it at all.

She slumped in her seat, looking down at nothing, only half-heartedly listening as the others spoke, as her teammates tried to come up with a way to fix everything.

"But… But… There has to be some way we can help them!" Ruby took a step forward, not willing to let everything come crashing down. She'd always been the most hopeful out of them all.

"Yes!" Weiss, beside her, nodded vehemently. She may not be as optimistic as her leader, but even she knew that not all was lost. "Make a serum - an antidote, if you will - something that will get them back to normal!"

Goodwitch stared at them, her lips thinning. "The researchers are working on it. But they don't even know where to begin - they don't know exactly what makes the victims this way, and more than that, they're reluctant to do so."

"What?! Why!?" cried Ruby.

"Because, as far as they can tell, they're working to cure people who have murdered," Goodwitch said before the young girl could go on, speaking bluntly to get her point across, "people who are a part of a terrorist organization, people who have most likely hurt them and/or their loved ones. That's all they see. And not… not victims."

Victims.

That was what Miss Belladonna had called them.

The first time she'd heard it, she'd scoffed and reprimanded the student for even considering such a thought.

But now…

Now she knew.

Now she _understood._

"Surely… Surely there's some way to prove their innocence." Weiss would not stand for this injustice. She couldn't. There must be some way. Why else would their professor tell them this otherwise?

"We found them along with the other members that night. While they were ill, their fingerprints were all over Miss Belladonna's body, suggesting that they've clawed and bruised her. That they've hurt her, a Huntress on duty."

She didn't need to explain anything more. They all knew how much of a punishable offense it was to attack a Huntress, in-training or not.

"S-still… Why can't they believe them…?" They were… They weren't the bad guys! Shouldn't their words mean something?! Why were they locked up along with the _real_ bad guys?! Why were they locked up at all?!

"Because it's their words against facts, Ruby," Weiss said, placing a comforting hand on the brunette's shoulder despite her own nausea. "As much as I hate to admit it, the authorities will never believe this… unless…"

"Unless we capture the man responsible for this madness."

Glynda stared at them each levelly, taking in their state.

Miss Rose was by far the most emotional of them all - seeing as how she was one of the most empathetic students she'd ever encountered. She was blinking rapidly, trying to clear away her tears as she hid her face on the heiress' shoulder, biting her lip to stifle her whimpers.

Miss Schnee was no better. Even when she tried to act like she was. Her own eyes were glassy, but her face was blank in a sort of grim acceptance. Glynda suspected it had something to do with the kind of environment she grew up with - the kind of twisted things she was exposed to at such an early age.

She had one arm wrapped around the brunette's waist, pulling her close, and the other on top of the girl's head protectively. Her lips were pursed into a thin line.

And lastly…

Miss Xiao Long.

She hid her face with the shadows cast by her bangs, her face lowered as she looked at the ground. Glynda might've thought she was merely despondent if not for the shaking fist, tense and flexed muscles, and the slightly glowing yellow hair. Oh, and the room's temperature was warm; unusual since it was winter and there was no heater in this room.

She heaved a deep sigh. In the end, she couldn't order them to do something they didn't want to do. This wasn't a class. This wasn't part of the school curriculum. She was asking them to do the authority's job, a job that was meant for adults.

She couldn't bear forcing them to do her bidding. Contrary to popular belief, she actually cared for her students. They were her children and it was her job to make sure they were taken care of and their time here in this school weren't filled with regrets.

She didn't want to force them into anything.

"I'm not asking for a lot," she concluded. "Only to spend your time, once the snow dies down," she took a short glance at her window, mindful of how strong the wind seemed to be getting, "searching for any information about this man and to give that information to me immediately."

Ruby closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and gently prying herself away from her secret lover's arms.

She had to make a choice. Not just any choice, but the right choice. It was her duty as the team leader.

She glanced at Weiss for a brief moment, a small amount of relief washing over her when the heiress gave her a trusting smile.

She needed to make the right call… even when it wasn't a call she liked. Even if it wasn't a call she knew any of them was comfortable with.

"We'll… We'll do-"

"No."

"Yang!" Weiss had had enough of the brute's childish attitude. She didn't know what had happened between her and her partner, but it shouldn't have to affect the team this badly!

 _She's going to get a piece of my mind!_

Yang shot her a glare that could make a Goliath cower.

… _Nevermind._

Yang was unrelenting. Not to mentioned pissed.

She stood up, planting her hands towards the desk, her nails clawing into them.

"I said no," she repeated, glaring at each and every person in this room - even her own sister - not-so-subtly telling them to _shut the hell up_ and let her speak without any more interruptions. "The last time we pried into this Rogue Fang's business, Blake almost _died_." She steeled herself. She couldn't break down and get emotional. Not now. She needed her team to understand. She needed everyone to understand. So she continued speaking about the things she wanted to forget. For the sake of her team. For the sake of her family. "I ended up seeing things that keep me up at night." Those claw marks. All of those blood. All of those Faunus lying down, surrounding the bloodied and bruised Blake. That… _That faint pulse._ "I don't want anything to do with this, and I certainly don't want Ruby and Weiss to get dragged into this mess as well!" she shouted that last part out.

She could imagine the looks her team was giving her right now, yet she didn't look at them. Instead, she faced her teacher with a burning glare.

There was a sickening crunch as she dug her hands with so much force that the wood actually cracked, splinters showing and a hole now formed in the desk's once perfect surface.

Glynda stared in mild alarm.

Weiss and Ruby stared in a little more than mild alarm.

"You said it yourself," Yang said, retreating her hands away, ignoring the small wooden splinters sticking into her skin, "you don't know if anything you said is even true! You have _nothing_ other than an insane criminal's words!" She pointed an accusing finger to her teacher and, with gritted teeth, said, "You said that my partner, our teammate is involved in this! You lied! She has nothing to do with this! _You lied to us!"_

Just like her partner.

 **...**

She didn't fight as normally as she would.

And she had a feeling that even if she brought Gambol Shroud… Her sad-excuse-of-a-fighting-style would still equally be messy and aimless.

She was no longer herself.

She knew that.

And yet she didn't care.

No, wait… A part of her did care.

But that part was too weak to do anything.

The anger hurt.

But she wanted more of it.

"You… You did this!"

She didn't know what she was saying.

Was it even she that was speaking?

It was… hard to think.

It was hard to even see.

Everything was hazy, like an old memory… but that couldn't be because she'd never been here before. Or had she?

She didn't know.

And she didn't care.

All that mattered was making sure this fox would fall down and never get back up again…

Until she was back to where she was, in the city…

And she gasped, the trance that kept ahold of her disappearing.

The fox…

No… No, he was no Faunus…

And he…

He had a few cuts on his body… like… like scrapes people got when they encountered a wild animal…

People were surrounding him…

In fact, people were surrounding them both…

And Blake couldn't move her outstretched arms…

Her head slowly tilted to the side, fearful to see whatever was holding her in place…

Her mind blanked when she saw that… that people were holding her in place… lots of them… and they… they looked terrified… disgusted…

Of her.

 _What have I done?_

She looked back at the panting, nearly-unconscious, hurting man.

An innocent man.

An innocent man that she attacked.

An innocent man that she almost…

That she almost…

She didn't even know how she did it, how long it took, or who got hurt in the process… but she managed to escape from their grasps and do the only thing she could do…

She ran.

And she cried.

And she pushed past her tears and keep on running.

She hated herself.

She wished none of this had ever happened.

She wished she wasn't involved in this madness.

She wished she hadn't lied to her partner.

She wished her partner chased after her.

She wished she never left in the first place.

She wished…

She wished she wasn't so scared.

 **...**

The silence that followed was the least comfortable of all.

Weiss was tense, cautious, and ready to act in case their teammate was to do something… she'd regret. Like, punching the teacher in the face, for instance. Or simply burning the whole place down with that explosive semblance of hers. Or punching the desk... to the point of no fixing it, this time.

She regretted not bringing her trusty Myrtenaster. The ice dust equipped within her rapier would certainly be perfect in countering the brawler's flame… _you know… just in case._

"... I'll give you and your team until the end of the day to make the decision, in case you changed your mind."

There was a scathing, sarcastic response at the edge of her tongue, but Yang refused to let it slip.

Despite the 'impolite' way she'd acted, Yang wasn't really mad at her teacher. Sure, she was pissed as hell, but she was pissed at this whole Rogue Fang thing. She understood why Goodwitch wanted them - or, more accurately, Blake - to help her with solving this. Blake had the most knowledge regarding both the Rogue Fang and the actual White Fang, and she was the only one who'd taken this as more than just another 'White Fang base found and members apprehended' scenario.

And it wasn't as if Goodwitch expected them to actually confront the dangerous leader. No, far from it. All she wanted from them was to gather information - evidence - that suggested there was more to this than met the eye. Once they did, they were done. Once they had proof, the authority would swoop in and take their place, actually working on solving the crime.

So…

She shouldn't be this angry…

Not really…

Just a simple 'no' would suffice…

She didn't pay attention as her team leader and teacher exchanged pleasantries, moreso out of formality than anything. She didn't even realize she was walking outside, trailing behind the partners, until she found herself stopping.

She took a small glance outside, noting that, if the snow and wind were to get stronger, there'd be a blizzard.

She could only hope that annoying monkey boy would be smart enough to close the curtain and start a fire and maybe give Blake a cup of lukewarm tea.

She then realized what she was thinking and chuckled hollowly to herself. "Even after everything you did to me I still can't help but worry about you."

Yang was… exhausted. So much so that she didn't think she could support her own weight any longer.

She rested her head against the cold wall.

Everything was taking its toll on her.

She'd never felt more tired.

She'd never felt more drained.

It felt like everything was crashing down and no matter what she did she simply couldn't stop it from happening.

"... And it's all because of you."

 **...**

Her legs finally gave out, and Blake sank into her knees, the small 'thud' sound echoing throughout the small, empty alleyway.

She didn't know how long she'd been running. She only knew no one would try to chase after her.

She was tired…

So, so tired…

And scared…

And angry…

She hugged the coat tighter, its presence serving to calm her down even when she was hitting rock bottom.

She breathed in the fabric, smiling shakingly at the scent of her partner.

And all she wanted was… was…

She didn't know what she wanted anymore…

She didn't know anything anymore…

Except that she wanted to be with her partner again…

 _But you don't really deserve her anymore, do you?_

 _Not after what you did._

That…

That was right…

She didn't deserve her partner…

She didn't deserve anything…

She didn't deserve to be happy…

Despite logic protesting her not to, she removed the coat and released it, setting it flying to who knew where. That coat made her feel safe and she didn't deserve that.

Plus… It was Yang's coat, and…

She couldn't handle even the thought of her partner…

Blake - aware that the familiar hot pain had returned yet again and that the wind was starting to get colder and stronger - could only whisper one sentence before her voice was robbed by the pain, filtered by the beginning of the blizzard;

"... And it's all because of you."

* * *

 **News:**

 **If you want to read the next chapter now, then go check out:**

 **P a treon . com (slash) ClementineDavidson**


	10. Unravel

**Author's Notes:**

 **Hey guys! I have an exciting news for you!**

 **I.**

 **Have made.**

 **My very first.**

 **Original story.**

 **:D**

 **It's a dark superhero story, sort of like a mash-up between Jessica Jones and Daredevil (my two favourite TV shows), but instead of focusing on the hero, I choose to focus on the regular civilian who will eventually get mixed up with the trouble. The main theme is mystery, but there's a decent amount of humour and action and suspense and - hell - even supernatural elements in it.**

 **It's on Wattpad, and the title is called "Suffocating". I use the same username as I do in this site: ClementineDavidson.**

 **I'd really appreciate it if you check it out. I won't be quitting on fan fiction, but I don't want to _only_ write fan fiction, you know. It's limiting, at times, and I want to really prove myself as a writer. I get a lot more freedom with my own work, to twist and and turn the plot to my own liking.**

 **I'll give you a sneak peek of the first chapter down below. Again, please check it out. I'm not asking you to follow it and love it or anything, just give it a read :)**

* * *

 **Co-Writer:**

 **FeugoFox42.**

 **He's a superb writer and a superb lad~ his writing is also superb~ check out his work~**

 **(Hey, that rhymed)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER X**

 **Unravel**

"You doin' okay, partner?"

Weiss opened her mouth to lie and reassure the younger teen that, indeed, she was okay. But upon meeting those silver eyes that were equally filled with sorrow and doubt, she found no need. Why should she try to act fine when everybody knew she was faking it? When everybody knew no one could ever be fine after the knowledge they were given.

"... No, I suppose not. The Rogue Fang… What they did…" She bit her lip. She couldn't even put it into words - how horrifying it all was. It was… a _nightmare._ "How could anyone do that?"

Not even her great, fearless leader had an answer. "I… I don't know."

Weiss rubbed her temple, leaning forward to her chair, having no energy for perfect posture. Their discussion had left her exhausted. It had left them all exhausted, with her partner laying on her stomach on the heiress' bed, hugging a pillow closely to her chest - seeking for comfort, Weiss presumed, her sister pretending to be reading a magazine, and she herself with her notebook on the desk and pen in her hand…

As if she could study after everything.

"And Professor Goodwitch wants us to capture the man responsible…" She looked down at her cold, pale hands. The hands of huntresses in training who had only ever been in a real battle with real people so few times, each time only barely making it out alive. She shook her head in denial, looking at the younger girl who was equally as scared, gazing into her eyes as if she could find answers there. "How are we able to do that?"

"Well, she didn't say fight anyone…"

Ruby's words, meant to be reassuring, didn't reassure her in the slightest.

The probability of searching, _finding_ , and _not_ encountering the madman was low. Lower than the probability of finding him in the first place.

"But she wants us to find him… Who knows where he could be hiding…" She clenched her fists. "For all we know, he could already be in another _Kingdom_ at this point. I just-" She froze, then let out a huge sigh, the little energy she had withering away. She pressed both hands to her face, drooping down. "I can't believe Blake knew all of this…"

"I mean, it's Blake!" Ruby did the 'jazz hands', wearing a sheepish, awkward smile - the kind she wore when she was trying and failing to lighten the mood. "We shouldn't be surprised." Ruby herself slumped back to the bed, bringing the pillow back to her chest and looking down dejectedly. "But yeah, still, I'm pretty surprised."

Weiss' heart broke at the sight.

… _When I find Blake, I'm going to threaten her into apologizing to us._ She briefly looked at Yang's bunk. _All of us._

"Something about this just doesn't make sense…"

"What do you mean?" asked Ruby, tilting her head.

Weiss bit her lip. It was hard to explain, but… she'd try it anyway… Ruby _was_ a good listener when she wanted to be, after all. "Before, she was so eager to execute the mission, to find out what the Rogue Fang was hiding," she started, looking up into Ruby's eyes to better convey this feeling of utter wrongness she felt. "She even went to me two or three days ago, explaining why something's so strange about the base. Compare that to how she is now…"

It was a complete one-eighty degree turn.

Could… Could it be that Blake knew something…? More than Goodwitch?

Or…

Could she somehow be involved in this? More than they thought?

 _We're missing a vital piece of the puzzle. I just know it!_

"Just drop it, Weiss."

The Whiterose pair flinched at the uncharacteristically cold tone. They looked up only to find Yang already jumping down with practised movements, not bothering to look at either of them in the eyes.

"But-"

"No." Yang shook her head, her face covered with her bangs. They might not be able to see her… but they didn't miss the tremble in her voice either. "Please. Don't do this to her."

Ruby's eyes widened. Her big sis wasn't just angry. She was also… sad. Like, _really_ sad. The kind of sad that was hard to understand. The kind of sad that was also filled with regret and disappointment and all of those other complicated emotions.

She looked at her older, more experienced partner for help, nudging her head to her sister's direction.

Weiss nodded, catching the memo, turning her attention to her usually-loud teammate. "What are you talking about?"

Yang looked down, her eyes darting as if searching for something.

Slowly, she met their eyes.

"You two do realize that… Blake's just a teenager like us," she reasoned, pausing to let her words sink in. She then ran her hand through her messy mane. "This whole crazy Rogue Fang evolution thing… She shouldn't have to deal with it." Her brows furrowed and she added, "We _all_ shouldn't have to deal with it. Putting that huge burden to her…" She bit her lip, remembering how pained Blake had looked, how scared she was underneath all that anger. "It's not gonna do her any good. It shouldn't be our responsibility. Not anymore."

Sure, Blake might've done her wrong.

Sure, she needed to apologize for what she did.

Sure, she had to explain herself to Yang…

But Blake was still her partner.

She was still the determined, kindhearted, shy bookworm she'd come to know.

She was still the girl Yang loved.

Even after what she did to her… She still loved her and wanted to protect her and didn't want any harm to come to her.

Ruby blinked into realization, slowly nodding in understanding, as she looked down.

Weiss rubbed her arm, shifting her weight, feeling guilty. She… She never meant it like that, never wanted Blake to feel as if everything rested on her shoulders. But… "Even so, there's still something wrong about all of this, like a missing piece-"

"I said drop it!" roared Yang, her hair turning into a lighter color. She wasn't looking at them, but Weiss was willing to bet her eyes were red. "Blake's out on a date with Sun. She's _not_ running off to chase after the leader that is _totally_ real and not just a figment of a _crazy terrorist's imagination!_ "

A beat, filled with heavy silence, passed.

And then another.

And then another.

"... Yang?"

She snapped her head to look at her persistent little sister. "What?!"

Ruby looked nervous, fidgeting and squirming in her bed as if she was hiding something. But she was also calm, the kind of calm she had whenever they were on a mission.

The sight of her solemn sister managed to ease off Yang's flame…

"Why do you say she's with Sun?"

And it went back in full-force.

"Because she told me so," she almost snarled, her voice a harsh whisper, "right before she went out from Beacon!"

"Yang…" Intensity and cold fury filled Ruby's eyes. "Blake's not on a date with Sun."

"Yes, and I doubt Blake sees him as more than a nuisance," Weiss added, her arms outstretched towards each of the sisters as a sort of mediator, afraid that something would catch fire or meet the sharp edge of Crescent Rose.

"Blake's on a date with Sun. There's no doubt about it." Yang howled out a fake laughter, grinning. "You were right. She really is making out with monkey boy."

"Blake's not out with Sun, Yang," Ruby repeated, her tone more urgent and forceful, only serving to anger the blonde even more.

"Oh yeah?"

Ruby's eyes narrowed, her own flame of rage starting to rise at being taunted like a child, but she forced herself to stay calm. _Yang's not herself right now,_ she reasoned. _She's tired, she's confused, Blake's missing, and something's happened between them._

She reached out for her scroll, fiddling with it for a short few seconds, stood up and walked to Yang before giving her the view of her device.

"Look."

Yang wanted to yell more, to blow off some steam, but, upon seeing her sister's pleading look, relented.

She had to squint to see better, realizing it was a text message between Ruby and… someone.

That someone was the first to message her little sister.

 _Yooooo, it's your fav stowaway._

 _I know this's kinda weird since we never rlly talk but blake won't answer my messages so… is she ok? I heard abt what happened n I wanna see her._

Below was her sister's answer.

 _Heyoo._

 _I haven't seen blake 2day, I think shes in the library. Tried 2 ask yang but she wont answer me._

 _Hope it helps :3_

Slowly, her eyes lifted from the scroll, a pit of unknown dread forming in her stomach as she met those silver eyes anymore, still as intense and furious and chillingly calm as before.

"Is this… Is this from Sun?"

" _Yes,"_ she said, leaning forward, urgency in her tone. Ruby shook her scroll again, her eyes flitting toward it. "Check the time of when they were sent."

It scared Yang to do just that.

A beat passed.

Then another.

And then it all clicked.

"Only an hour ago… but…"

"You said Blake took off this morning?" Ruby asked harshly, not paying much mind to Yang's confusion. They could be all emotional later. Now, they needed to get to the bottom of this. _Whatever this is._

"She did… She… I…" Rage took over her. "The hell is all of this?!" Without really thinking, she grabbed the scroll away from her sister's hand and pressed the call button. She grew more irritated with each beeping sound, making sure the speaker button was on so they could _all_ get some damn answers. When a small click sounded, signaling that the call was answered, Yang was already yelling, "Sun! Where the hell is Blake?!"

"Yang?" came Sun's extremely confused voice.

"Answer the damn question!" she screamed, not caring if her so-called neighbors would file a noise complaint.

"How should I know?!" Sun answered, his own voice rising. "She hasn't responded to any of my messages! I thought she was with you, you know, _her own partner_."

Yang gritted her teeth. His snarky comment served to agitate her even more. "Well, she told me she was off to your place this morning! She's not in Beacon anymore!"

A beat passed.

And then another.

And then Sun spoke.

"What are you talking about? I'm an exchange student. I live _in_ Beacon."

Yang's breath came in heavy pants, her thoughts jumbled and incoherent. Out of them all, she, unsurprisingly, took it the hardest.

"Is everything-"

Yang hung up before he could finish his sentence. To hell with him. He was no use anyway.

Her breathing became more chopped and out of control as the reality of everything dawned on her.

 _She left._

 _She left us._

 _She left me._

 _To Grimm knows where._

 _Doing Grimm knows what._

 _Without telling us._

… _She lied._

 _She lied!_

Yang just barely contained herself from throwing Ruby's scroll to the nearby wall, choosing to, instead, throw it to the bed with so much force she'd be surprised if it didn't break.

"Yang!"

She paid no mind and, instead, gripped her hair and pulled, all kinds of angry noises coming out of her mouth.

 _She fucking lied!_

 _To all of us!_

Weiss and Ruby watched with sympathy and mild annoyance as their non-missing teammate, the fearsome, mighty, strong brawler… threw a tantrum.

"Dammit! I _told_ her not to get herself involved in this! I _fucking_ told her! And she just _had_ to be the hero! Because asking for help is just dumb, isn't it? Risking her own life without even giving me anything! Leaving me outside like that! Lying and saying she's with _Sun_! Telling me it was all just some huge mistake! Fuck!"

Weiss rose an eyebrow at that last part, sharing a glance with Ruby. Her partner merely shrugged, causing her to softly sigh.

She'd had a suspicion since the morning started with how… personal the blonde had taken it all. In fact, she'd had a suspicion for a long time - that there was more than just partnership between them - but _this…_

She had no idea they had it _this_ bad.

Weiss' eyes then widened as she remembered something important, she glanced outside to confirm that important thing, immediately looking down as a sense of resignation overwhelmed her.

"Please tell me Blake's not off trying to capture a dangerous madman on her own in this blizzard?"

Yang was off in her own world now, shouting about how unfair everything was... as if _she_ was the only one who was suffering. Typical teenager.

Meanwhile, Ruby, ever the sweet and innocent girl, merely gasped and threw her hands to her mouth as she just now realized that it was, indeed, snowing harshly outside.

"... Great. Blake's off trying to capture a dangerous madman on her own. In this blizzard."

"Oh no," whimpered Ruby, "I hope she's not cold."

"Being cold is the least of her worries," deadpanned Weiss before she looked up and muttered, "Though, she might get hypothermia if she isn't properly clothed. But I doubt Blake would try to go outside without the right preparations." She nodded proudly, reassuring both herself and her team. "She's a smart girl, she can take care of herself."

"I need to go after her."

They both snapped their heads towards the suddenly not-so-angry blonde as she grabbed her motorcycle key from her drawer with such a rush of speed and… barbarousness…

Ruby, who'd been watching everything unfold from the very beginning, snapped back to reality at her sister's rough, direct words, quickly rushing to block the door with her small body before Yang could go through it.

"No," she simply said, mentally preparing herself for the verbal onslaught her sister was about to unleash.

"What?!" _And… there it is._ "What do you mean 'no'?!" Yang growled and shook her head as if she didn't want that answer, taking one threatening step forward, her feet stomping jarringly with the floor. "Ruby, get the hell out of my way or else!"

"Yang!" screamed Weiss, not believing what Yang had said to her so-called 'precious baby sister'.

Ruby would've been scared if Yang really was about to hurt her. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Her big sis was just confused and scared for her partner and, in her eyes, Ruby was probably blocking her from getting Blake back to safety.

Ruby understood her. She may not be able to feel the pain Big Sis was feeling, but… she understood that it was bad and it really hurt.

She sighed and shook her head once more, forcing herself to be calm for the sake of the team. "I can't do that. Not when you don't even have a plan. And certainly not if you can get hyprotirmirea-"

"Hypothermia."

"Whatever," she growled.

Yang's head cleared when she saw just how rigid her sister was and how angry Weiss was at her.

"Sorry, Ruby…" she sighed, placing her hand over her eyes, forcing them to close in shame and regret. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that…" Ruby didn't deserve to be yelled at, neither did Weiss. She was being unreasonable right now. She needed to calm down…

"Yeah, I know." Yang blinked her eyes open to stare down at her sister in agape. Ruby shrugged in that nervous, awkward, 'Ruby-esque' way. "You've been through a lot."

Yang frowned at her reasoning. "That doesn't mean what I did was right…"

"Well," piped Weiss, placing her hand on the blonde's upper arm, squeezing gently. Yang looked at her and smiled at the girl's attempt at being comforting. "We forgive you. That's all that matters."

Yang smiled a watery smile at her, then, that smile turned sour as she thought of Blake. "I need to go."

"No!"

Yang turned to Ruby, who still looked frightened. Frightened _for_ her big sister. She gently opened her arms to show that she was no longer driven by anger.

"Ruby… You know I'll be fine. I've got a heat semblance, remember."

Ruby frowned deeper. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean you'll be safe out there alone! At least…" She bit her lip for a moment, looking at the window in front of her before looking back at her sister with newfound resolve. "Let me come with you!"

"No!" Yang and Weiss shouted at once.

"Ruby, you'll freeze to death if you stepped out of the building," reasoned Yang.

Ruby opened her mouth to say that she didn't care so long as she was with Yang and that they were both safe and that they would find Blake, but then her partner spoke.

"Which is why you should take me with you, Yang." Weiss gauged their expressions for a moment before stepping forward in-between them. "Blake is my teammate, my treasured friend…" She then scowled in annoyance. "And you're not the only one furious with her refusing to let us help her."

The two siblings looked at each other, smiles slowly forming on their faces.

"Plus, I grew up in _Atlas_."

That did the trick.

" _And_ your name is Snow Queen," chuckled Ruby as she went to her partner with a proud smile.

 _Huh…_ Yang wondered as she looked up, scratching her chin with ponder. _I could've sworn it was Ice Quee- what the hell?!_

Ruby kissed Weiss.

On the lips.

And Weiss kissed back.

Also on the lips.

They were kissing.

On the lips.

"Uum…" Her voice was a few octaves higher than normal. For obvious reasons. "When did _this_ start?"

They then started and blushed as they looked at her. Apparently, they'd forgotten she was in the room.

"W-we should try to come up with a plan to find Blake!" Weiss said with a pointed finger, her face as red as the face _and_ name of the girl she'd been making out with.

"Wow, Weiss," she said in a deadpanned voice that would've make her partner proud. "Real smooth transition there… But you're right." As much as she hated it. "We shouldn't waste time."

Yang took a step toward the door only to groan when Ruby glued herself back to it,, pouting up at her sister. "Ruby, you can move now."

"Nuh-uh! Not until you come up with a plan first!"

"Ruby, how can I come up with a plan if I don't even know where she is?" Yang reasoned, watching as the realization dawned on her sister. "Plus, we're dealing with _Blake_ here, not some _Grimm_ who we need a plan to _capture_."

The worst that would happen was that they'd find the man responsible for the experiments along with Blake, in which they would call Glynda or the cops or any kind of authorities and _not_ try to deal with it themselves.

"R-right… I totally knew that." Ruby cleared her throat as she stepped away from the exit, causing Yang to immediately rush outside. "Yeesh, hold your horses, Yang." Ruby knew this was a potentially dangerous situation that may or may not include teenagers having to face with a _super duper_ dangerous criminal, but _she_ was the one with speed semblance here! Not her big sis!

Yang rushed outside and could already feel her hand on the handles of her sweet Bumblebee only to groan again when Weiss was still inside, taking her sweet time. "Hurry up!"

"Do you expect me to go without retrieving my weapon?"

"Oh…" Yeah… Sometimes she forgot not everyone had awesome weapons that could turn and be worn as bracelets.

Speaking of which, had she reloaded her gauntlets? Yang frowned when she activated her weapon and checked the barrel only to find that she had a few ammo left. Not too little to be considered dire but…

"Yang…"

At that tone, the blonde rushed inside, finding Ruby and Weiss' extremely troubled faces as they gazed at the closet where they set their weapons.

And, upon seeing what they saw…

Yang's own face turned into one of troubled, if not, angry.

Gambol Shroud was inside the closet.

 **…**

"W-where are w-we?"

Yang rose her eyebrow in curiosity as she jumped out of her bike, the princess doing the same in a much safer, much _slower_ way.

She looked around. The storm had died down some while ago. The snow layered everything around them - buildings, roads, even the lampposts. Specks of white fell down from the sky, slowly and graciously.

Yang pulled out of her helmet, running her hand through her now-messy mane after putting it on her baby bumblebee.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a sight that made her raise her golden eyebrow.

"Why are you cold?" Yang tore her gaze away from the building in front of her, her mouth threatening to curl into a smile at the sight of the shivering Weiss. "Thought you grew up in Atlas. Shouldn't you be, I don't know, immune to the cold at this point?"

"I-I am!" Weiss tried to convince. Unconvincingly.

Just for the sake of teasing the frigid Ice Queen, Yang leaned toward the girl, way too close for the girl's comfort zone, grinning. "Aren't you Ruby's little Snow Queen~?"

"S-shut up!" Weiss shoved her away, not too much for it to actually hurt or anything.

Yang chuckled lowly, gazing at the heiress with a knowing look. "Don't think I'm just gonna let you off that easily…" There was a hidden warning tone, a tone Weiss didn't miss.

"Of course you won't," she muttered, trudging forward with forced stride as her white coat fluttered graciously.

Yang chuckled before taking the lead, walking forward with ease.

Weiss was good to her sister, no doubt about it. But that didn't mean she wasn't going to give her 'The Talk' - it was her responsibility as a big sister, after all.

She'd do it after this whole shenanigan with Blake was done…

Blake…

Just thinking about her soured Yang's already bad mood.

They came to a stop at the front of the building.

"S-should we try k-knocking?"

Yang looked over her shoulder, facing Weiss' expecting eyes with a wink from one of her own ones.

Then, she did the only rational thing she could…

She punched open the door, watching as its dented surface clattered to the ground.

"Y-Yang! Are you insane?!"

"Don't worry about it." It was amazing how she could say that and actually meant it, walking inside without another word, smirking when she heard footsteps from behind her.

With any other place, she would've been worried…

But, hey, this was not just any place!

Yang's eyebrow rose in thoughtfulness as she gazed the unusually empty place, reasoning that people didn't really like partying in a blizzard.

… Their loss.

"Blondie?"

She closed her eyes and chuckled, head shaking.

She looked up at the man who was anything but pleased to see her, smiling.

"Didn't I tell you to call me 'Sir'?"

* * *

News:

If you want to read the next chapter now, then go check out:

P a treon . com (slash) ClementineDavidson

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **What a chapter.**

 **And now, here's a sneak peek for another chapter from another story~**

* * *

"Anyway, like I was saying… wait, what was I saying again?" Claire was about to tell her but Roxanne snapped her finger and let out an "ah!" sound. This girl… "I believe there is something- nay, someone out there who's doing what must be done, protecting the innocents from the evil of this city!"

Claire's eyes briefly fell towards a boy walking in front of the shop. He have been no older than thirteen years old, yet he already felt like trouble. Nothing too big though; loitering? Graffiti maybe?

Nothing worth her time.

A meaningful cough draw her back to the brunette in front of her, who stood upright with her arms crossed and her chin tilted up, nonverbally demanding a compliment or an affirmation.

Claire chose to say neither of those things. "You watch too many Marvel movies."

"I'm an X-Men nerd and we both know it!" Roxanne pointed an accusing finger, glaring at her as if she'd spoken blasphemy.

Claire raised a black eyebrow. "Aren't they the same?"

"W-well, yeah, but- you- just- ugh! Simpleton." Claire shrugged, not knowing how to respond to that and not caring either. She wasn't a big fan of movies, or comic books, or comic book movies, not like Roxanne was.

With nothing else to do, Claire picked up a small towel and began wiping the coffee machine, knowing how important it was for the taste of the beverage.

Even after four years of friendship, Claire didn't quite understand Roxanne's obsession with 'the truth', 'what's really happening', and 'the lies they tell us commoners'.

It made Roxanne a great reporter - why else had she already been accepted into the city's famous newspaper company at the age of sixteen? - but it fueled her obsession.

Claire could respect that. It was admirable how much effort she put into each writing. You could always tell it was Roxanne's writing with how much positivity was in it.

Each of her piece was guaranteed to draw at least two chuckles from the reader.

Unfortunately, some of the effort put into making that piece public was… catastrophic.

Claire couldn't count how many times she had to drag Roxanne out of a 'well-informed debate' with her own boss… and the people she was interviewing… and sometimes people in general…

It was a chore. Worse, it was a second job. One that didn't pay at all.

"Claire." Her voice was soft. Roxanne's voice always sounded more feminine and 'adult-like' when she was serious about something, like now. "I know it sounds kind of insane, but I genuinely think there's someone out there protecting our city. Our home."

Claire dropped the towel, facing her friend.

Roxanne had always been the smaller of the two, but with her standing on one of the footrests of a chair and using the counter as balance, they were on equal heights.

The warm light of the sun framed Roxanne well.

Her light-brown hair looked more strawberry red backed by the glow of the sun. Her freckles were orange glitters, ornaments dusting her face. Light beads of sweat layered her skin despite the air-conditioned room. Roxanne easily got sweaty, it was why she was currently wearing a t-shirt despite the autumn weather being out in full force, and despite Claire's insistence that she wore something with thicker fabric, or at least with sleeves.

Roxanne's passion overwhelmed her. Sometimes it scared her. Claire had a hard time finding the right words to ease her off of her obsessive state of mind.

"Claire?"

Crap. She'd zoned out again. "Huh? What'd you say?"

Roxanne was always the more expressive of the two. She wore her emotions on her sleeves for the world to see. Well, her lack of sleeves, considering the t-shirt. And sometimes, those emotions were contagious.

Which was why guilt hit Claire hard when she saw Roxanne's face. The girl looked hurt; eyes wide, lips pursed, glasses slightly tilted down.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"Look, Rox, it's not that." Claire outstretched her hand but it froze half-way, uncertain of what to touch and how to touch. She wasn't good at this comforting thing, not like Roxanne. Neither was she good at talking. Chatting casually was okay and all, but speaking her mind? It just wasn't her forte. "It's just… don't you think whatever's out there's… dangerous?"


	11. Whispers of The Past

**Co-Writer:**

 ** _FeugoFox42._ Pwetty pwease check out his stuff uwu**

* * *

 **CHAPTER XI**

 **Whispers of The Past**

* * *

"How can you not know where she is?!"

Junior reminded her of a ragdoll… with how easily she was able to throw him off the counter, his body crashing against the surface of it. She was very tempted to push him even further, just to see what it would look like to have a person's face fusing with the solid insides of the furniture.

"Yang! Calm down!"

Calm down?

 _Calm down?!_

How could she calm the fuck down when her only way of finding Blake - other than actually searching for her on-foot like they did the last time _this_ sort of shit happened - didn't have anything to give her!

Nope. No way.

Blake had kissed her. And Blake had told her that the kiss was a mistake. And Blake had left her.

And Yang. Wanted. _Answers._

 _A lot_ of 'em.

"I-I'm telling you the truth, Sir!" He tried to push himself against the counter, try to get up. But all that did was compel her to grip harder and push deeper, eyes flickering when he let out a strangled, unmanly scream. "Why would I lie to you?!" he forced through gritted teeth.

"She _must've_ come to you or your pals to look for info! You know everything there's to know about everything!"

And that wasn't far from the truth.

There was a reason Hei Xiong was feared and respected by all. Even _Roman_ knew him, and he was the biggest conman in all of Vale, maybe even Remnant.

Every shady thing that occurred in this city went unnoticed by this man.

Every info-guy worked under his presence, they all linked back to him.

Hei Xiong didn't just run the criminal underground, he _dominated_ it.

So how could he not know where Blake was headed?!

"I have no reason to lie! I'm telling you, I got nothing!"

"Bullshit!" She snarled, lifting her fist up to give him another piece of her mind-

But the punch never came.

Yang tried to move her fist, panicking when she couldn't. The grip on Junior loosened. Her limbs refused to cooperate with her as she tugged each of them to any and all directions.

Junior took this chance to escape from her wrath, ducking before running away... only for a series of glyphs to pin him in place.

Yang found that those glyphs were the very reason why she seemed to be stuck in place.

Those familiar white glyphs with a snowflake pattern in the middle.

Yang craned her neck as best she could, heat surging all over her body like a deadly virus, clouding her mind with rage at the sight of her own teammate constricting her own movements, denying the satisfaction of her trained-fist damaging his already-bruised face.

"Weiss?! What the-"

Weiss made a motion with her hand, prompting Yang's body to fly to the nearest wall, the impact causing shards of glass to rain down and her mind to numb down.

It hurt, even if her aura absorbed the impact. She was disoriented and had to shut her eyes, wincing. Damn. Was the room spinning, or was it just her? Her semblance was activated now, no doubt. She could feel the stifling heat waving around her, and when she opened her eyes, everything was tinted red.

She knew she wasn't in the best mindset right now, but the heiress wasn't helping either.

Weiss calmly strode toward her with perfect posture, taking her sweet time.

Yang glared daggers at her, wishing her semblance involved shooting lasers out of her eyes. That would be _so_ useful right now.

She slowly attempted to prop herself up only for Weiss to cast another glyph on her front, pushing her back, enabling her from moving anything other than her wrists and neck. Like _that'd_ be useful.

For the first time, she and the heiress were eye-level.

Yang could tell she was pissed. What she couldn't tell or care was _why._

"Weiss… What the fuck?" Her voice was raspy from all the previous yelling and roaring.

The heiress, in response, scowled at her, irritating her even more.

What right did _she_ have to get angry?! It wasn't like she was the one who was thrown against the _wall_ by her own _teammate!_

Weiss stood, looking at the much taller, stronger, loose-canon of a girl that she immobilized.

Yang was, undeniably, blinded by her fury. And that was perfectly fine. Some people prefer to use their heads over their brains. She was not one to judge.

What was not fine, however, was how her erratic behavior was affecting, if not _ruining_ their chances of finding their missing teammate.

Briefly, she asked herself what Ruby would've done in this situation.

… And then she realized that Ruby - as sweet of a dolt as she may be - was never the best at handling a tough situation. If she were here with them, she'd probably worsen the situation by panicking.

 _Well… I guess I just have to be cold and ruthless…_

 _Also known as being myself._

"Look. I've had enough of you and your childish tantrums. We're not here so you can throw your anger out to an innocent man."

Yang was unbothered, scoffing. "He's hardly innocent-"

"Not the damn point." Yang was, for a moment, speechless as she stared in agape at the heiress. Weiss never swore. Ever. Either Yang was a bigger influence in her than she thought or the petite girl was _seriously_ mad. And judging by how she was gritting her teeth and seemed to be trying to kill Yang with a scowl, it was the latter; she was, in fact, _mad_. "I came here in this weather, accompanying you so that we can _finally_ drag our _stupid_ teammate back to Beacon whether she likes it or not and be _done_ with it. _Got it_?!" Yang actually flinched. Wow, Weiss had quite the set of lungs. "Now, I don't know what happened between you and Blake, and I don't particularly care either. All I care about is doing what we came here to do! Do you understand!?"

For a moment, everything was still. Even Junior, who had tried in vain to break himself out of her unbreakable glyphs, paused his ministrations to look.

Weiss' words… were like a slap in the face.

But it was the kind of slap that pulled her back from whatever spell she was under, dragging her back to reality.

Suddenly she gasped and was dimly aware of the pain shooting from all over her body. She only now began to feel the hot sweat caking her skin, the small bits of harmless flame dancing around her hair.

But most importantly, she was aware of what she needed to do and the consequences of failing to do so.

Blake…

She was here for Blake…

To catch her, to bring her back home, to… to keep the Faunus away from trouble, from hurting herself…

 _Blake…_

She'd hurt her. She'd played with her feelings and now she might've even broken her trust.

But…

She was still Blake…

The girl who wanted to do the right thing. The girl who was smart in the way that matters. The girl who'd put up with her all this time.

No matter how much pain she was in…

It shouldn't matter right now.

What mattered most was to get Blake back.

She could deal with everything else later.

After swallowing, she took deep breaths as she closed her eyes, willing the adrenaline and rush in her body to go away. Slowly, the glow in her hair receded before her golden strands went limp and unfiery.

"Y-yeah…" Her voice was still painfully raspy and raw, and she cleared her throat to better attempt in speaking softly and calmly. "I understand. I'm… I'm so-"

"Save it," said Weiss with a roll of her eyes. Despite the prickly attitude, though, Yang was able to see the hint of forgiveness in those blue eyes. She smiled, thankful she had such an awesome teammate - even if she was… well… _Weiss._

"Can I leave now?"

"No, you cannot!" And… the Ice Queen's back. Weiss turned back to the blonde after making sure that the man was, indeed, still unable to move, before releasing the glyph restraining her teammate.

Yang grunted as she fell down but shakily stood up, pretending as though she was fine. If she were being honest, she wasn't faring very well. She didn't get enough sleep last night or the night before - the image of a lying, motionless, bloodied Blake always jolted her awake to the point where she was simply too afraid to be pulled into slumber. Not only that, but Weiss' glyphs were stronger than she'd imagined. Like, _a lot_ stronger.

That didn't matter, though.

She could deal with her exhaustion later.

Right now, she had to focus on finding Blake.

"Yang." The blonde turned her head to face the heiress as they both strode toward the immobilized man. Weiss fidgeted with her rapier and she was tense - tenser than she should be. "You are the closest out of all of us to Blake. Of our team, you know her best."

Yang looked down on her two hands.

"N-no… I don't think I do."

She had thought she knew Blake, but… after these past few days… she wasn't sure.

After all, if she truly knew the noirette, then why didn't Blake trust her enough to let her know about… well… everything?

"Yes, you do." Weiss' tone was firm, direct. "This isn't the time for self-pity."

"I am not-" _But you are,_ a part of her admitted. Her feet stopped taking steps and her posture slumped. "... I don't know what to do."

She really didn't.

She… She had thought she knew what she was doing… telling Blake to simply drop the matter entirely, asking her to please stop talking about it… she'd thought that was the right thing to do.

But… her shutting Blake off only caused her to run away alone.

 _At least if I didn't tell her to quit obsessing over it I could at least have come with her… wherever she went._

"Yang." A cool hand was pressed onto her shoulder, startling her. The brawler looked up to find one distressed heiress that tried to act calm for both of their sakes. "Try to remember anything weird about Blake, about what she said to you that night you two went off on your disastrous mission. Did she say anything unusual? Something that can help us find her?"

She bit her lip and drew in a deep breath. That night… she didn't really pay attention much to what Blake was saying, not about the mission, at least. She'd always considered herself a fighter. She wasn't one to think and plan ahead - that had been Blake's job.

But now it had to be her job.

"No…" said Yang. "All she told me was that there's something going on inside their warehouse."

Weiss pondered. "Where did she get her information, then?"

"Sun," growled Yang, looking away. "She got it from Sun."

"Yang, please." The hand that was on her shoulder squeezed, causing the tension in her muscles to loosen. "I know she hurt you but... I also know she would never mean to."

That prompted Yang to look back, shaking her head at the shorter girl. "No, she didn't mean to do it, Weiss." _But she did it anyway._

Yang's head hung low, all of her fight draining away.

This was all worthless, wasn't it?

The possibility of finding Blake in this large stormed-city…

The possibility of Blake herself being okay…

It was all so…

Fruitless.

"Yang…"

Her teammate was asking her, begging her to come up with something, anything that could lead them to Blake.

… But what?

A beat passed.

She was worthless, wasn't she? She didn't know what to do and- and she shouldn't even be here. Ruby and Weiss would do fine on their own- _hell, if it were only them, they'd be dragging my partner back to Beacon right about now._

 _I… can't do this._

Another beat passed.

 _I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't-_

" _You'd do fine, Yang."_

… _That… that voice…_

 _Blake…?_

 _Is that you…?_

" _Stop doubting yourself too much."_

 _But… But I haven't found you…_

 _And I've been a wreck even before I got here…_

 _I'm not you, Blake. I don't know what to do._

" _It's not all that hard…"_

 _Tsk. For you, maybe._

" _You just have to know where to ask."_

 _I do._

 _This is the right place, I know so._

" _And how to ask the right questions to the right people."_

… _Oh._

" _They won't just speak if you blatantly ask where the enemy's hiding."_

 _I guess that's what I've been doing, huh?_

… _Alright then._

 _I don't know what else to do. I'm completely lost. I've tried everything I can._

 _What do I do?_

" _If you ask questions such as 'Has there been any recent people missing?' or 'Has there been any rumors regarding the enemy?', you might get the answer you're looking for."_

 _That… That doesn't really help._

 _I need…_

 _I need you to guide me. To tell me what I should do! Or else- or else I'll be lost! Or else I'll just make everything worse! I can't afford to make everything worse, Blake! Things are already bad enough as it is!_

 _I need you to guide me, Blake._

 _I need you…_

" _You'd do fine, Yang."_

 _Would I?_

 _I… I really don't know…_

" _You'd do fine, Yang."_

 _Well…_

 _I don't know much of anything, really…_

" _You'd do fine, Yang."_

… _Huh._

 _Maybe… Maybe I would._

" _Stop doubting yourself too much."_

 _Yeah._

 _You're right._

 _You're always right._

" _Stop doubting yourself too much."_

 _I won't._

 _I'll find you, Blake._

Yang's eyes snapped back open and, wordlessly, she marched toward Junior, ignoring the look of utter shock etched on the heiress' face.

"Yang? What are you-"

"Has there been any rumors spreading?" she asked, narrowing her eyes as Junior hummed.

"What kind?"

"Any kind!" she grunted, itching to grab his collar and give him another piece of her mind. "Maybe involving a suspicious Faunus dude or gal or whatever who probably wears a lab coat or a monster or just- _just any kind_!" She threw her arms up. Really, she didn't even know what she was asking.

She failed to notice the way Junior looked at her.

"A… monster?" he asked again.

"Yes. Maybe." She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know." She sighed, running her tired hand through her hair, groaning. "Look, I need something that's suspicious. Someone who seems to be in a hurry or is hiding."

 _There._

 _That's a good start… I think._

Junior looked bewildered, looking at her as if she was some kind of clairvoyant. "How do you know this?"

 _Oh wow, that's a really good start._

"So you _do_ have answers," she pointed out, looking at Weiss expectantly. The heiress nodded and made a motion with her arms, her glyphs vanishing moments later, letting go of him. He fell down with a grunt. She noticed him glancing at the exit and gave him a meaningful cough. He looked up at her and she crossed her arms and rose her eyebrow expectantly.

He sighed before slowly getting up, wincing at every little movement.

 _I guess I really did a number on him, huh?_ she thought a little solemnly.

He made his way to his counter, dusting off the small shards of glass on his clothing and readjusting his necktie. Even with how disheveled he look, Yang had to admit that he still carried that 'bartender/mob-boss' aura.

"Earlier this morning," he began, "there was a commotion. Now, normally I don't tend to poke into rumors, but this one's… different."

"How so?" asked Weiss.

Junior looked at her dead in those calculating blue eyes. "Because everyone's talking about it. And it's crazier than any rumor I've heard."

Weiss broke away from his gaze only to look at Yang. Yang wore a similar expression of surprise.

Junior looked back and forth between the two girls, wondering if he should tell them this. But after realizing that them knowing wouldn't hurt his business, he decided what the hell and went through with it. "Some say it's a monster. Most say it's just an angry Faunus." He scoffed. "Typical animals."

And suddenly Myneaster was an inch away from his throat. And Weiss didn't seem all that hesitant to press the tip of it into the flesh of his skin.

Junior gulped. And suddenly he was more cooperative than ever.

"Claws, sharp teeth, super strength and speed and everything else," he listed off quite quickly, "even got fur. At least, that's what they all told me. Some say it's a new breed of Grimm. It completely beat up a civilian in broad daylight- or, err, 'morninglight'. _Everyone_ saw and were all too stunned to do anything other than help the poor man. And suddenly the creature just _bolted_."

Weiss and Yang shared a knowing look, similar questions and thoughts and assumptions flowing over their heads.

"But look," Junior sighed, rubbing his temples. "These are just rumors. They sound like complete bullshit to me - sorry for the language," he said as he glanced toward the heiress… to which the heiress responded by rolling her eyes. "To me, it sounded like someone who encountered a really angry dog. Or dog Faunus. Either could work."

Yang clenched her jaw but took deep breaths, reminding herself that Junior had always been a racist asshole. Instead of giving into her rage again, she asked, "Where? Where is it?"

"No, wait, Yang," interrupted Weiss. "That can't be Blake-"

"Yeah, it might be one of the people Rogue Fang's been experimenting on, I know." She glanced toward the smaller girl, pursing her lips. "Blake knows about it too. I'm willing to bet on it."

It took Weiss a couple of seconds to piece it all together. "If she's heard of it, then she must be searching for it as well."

Yang nodded with a small smile, glad that her teammate could understand so quickly. Weiss _was_ one of the smartest students in Beacon.

That smile quickly faded away as she looked down in thought. "This trail - if it even exists - could lead us to either the 'monster' or…"

"It could lead us directly to Blake," finished the heiress. "But this… this is too far-fetched."

Yang sighed. Of course it was. She fully understood that. But… "But it's the only lead we have." She tore her gaze away from the floor and into worried blue eyes. "Unless you've got some other ideas?"

Weiss looked away, her eyes darting around as the cogs in her head turned. Yang could see it clearly, with the way her hand fidgeted, the way her jaw clenched and unclenched itself, the way her foot kept tapping against the floor; she was thinking of every move they could make, every possibility and outcome that would happen from making those other moves.

Eventually, resigned blue met lilac again, and Weiss slowly shook her head.

Yang swallowed. She'd expected there to be any other move they could make - maybe call Beacon, ask them to come and help them, but… she understood that the help Beacon could provide wasn't one that would be useful to them, if they were able to help them at all. Perhaps they should ask JNPR or, hell, maybe even SSSN for help, but, with this heavy snow…

Yeah, no… They were on their own, at least until the storm began to slow itself down, turning into nothing more than a light rain snow.

" _You'd do fine, Yang."_

Yang turned toward Junior, calmer and more focused than she ever was before.

"So, Junior. Mind telling us where this monster is?"

 **…**

The GPS on Weiss' scroll beeped, signaling their arrival.

The heiress had made Junior type in the location on her scroll. After each of them threatened Junior to not make a big deal out of it - which he took with stride, surprisingly - they quickly jumped back into Bumblebee and headed out, reasoning that the storm had died down anyway and the sooner they got Blake, the sooner everything would be over.

Unfortunately for them, the snow began to fall a little bigger and harsher, and the wind blew with more strength.

 _Shit,_ thought Yang, quickly parking her bike, not taking her sweet time making sure it wouldn't fall for once.

Weiss was behind her, as always. She cupped her mouth with her two hands, screaming out "Blake!" for the entire Vale to hear. "Blake! Where are you?!"

But Blake responded.

No one responded.

No one in their right mind would be out here with the blizzard that was about to come.

Yang didn't even know why she was screaming.

Then Yang realized that Blake might not even be here right now.

After slapping her head, berating herself for her idiocy, Yang began to look for clues. What kind of clues? She didn't know. Just- something that would lead her to… something Blake-related. It could be anything, really.

They were at where the 'monster' was supposedly last seen.

Yang bit her lip. They were on downtown Vale, miles and miles away from Beacon. The thought that she was so far away from her home didn't exactly put her at ease…

Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

Nothing indicated that a mad scientist had been here.

Nothing indicated that a 'monster' had been here.

Nothing indicated that Blake had been here.

 _This is… a lost cause,_ she realized numbly. They wouldn't find anything useful here. Nothing that could lead them to Blake.

 _This whole plan had been a lost cause from the start._

"Y-Yang…"

Yang turned, her heart sinking at the sight of her teammate who could barely stand, coated in snow, shivering rapidly.

She… couldn't feel the cold. She never had to suffer from it. But…

Weiss was suffering from it.

 _And Blake might be too._

She slowly looked up, noting how extreme the weather seemed to be getting. At this rate, she soon wouldn't be able to see her own two hands.

"C'mon, Weiss," she said, pulling the girl into her arms to support her, trying to find someplace they could stay in for the night, or at least until the storm died down.

The smaller girl melted into her, using her as a shield against the wind and the cold.

It was hard - harder than she thought - but she trudged against the snow, releasing more of the semblance-charged heat, smiling when the heiress melted into her even more.

"We… didn't find her," she heard the heiress mutter sadly. "Nor did we find _anything_."

Yang swallowed and pushed down the instinctual need to roar, to yell, to do something other than protecting her friend and try to find a safe place. "Yeah," she agreed. "We didn't."

The heiress' footsteps slowed down just a bit. And, as much as she hated to do so, Yang slowed down her pace as well.

"This is hopeless."

Yang's lips pursed. Suddenly she felt weaker and more tired. "It is."

"We'll never find her."

Yang shook her head. "We will. Just… not right now."

She wasn't sure if she believed her own words.

Weiss pushed away from her so she could look into her eyes in puzzlement. "Why aren't you mad?"

A beat passed.

Yang looked ahead, noticing how endless the road seemed to be, how cold everything must be, and how desperate she was to find her partner.

Another beat passed.

She chuckled, running a hand through her mane, blowing a puff of air. "Oh, trust me, I am. And, well…" She shrugged, giving the girl the most genuine smile she'd ever given, feeling lighter than ever. She knew that this was far from over. She knew none of this was far from okay. She knew none of them were far from okay. And in spite of it all…

"We'll do fine."

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hey, y'all. I know I've been obsessed with LiS lately, and haven't been uploading more RWBY content. But don't worry, I've actually finished not one, but two more RWBY stories (yes, there will be both Bumblebee and White Rose in it), one of which FeugoFox42 helped me with. I've actually finished them for quite some time, now. I'll start uploading them once this story is done. I just thought I should tell you because, well, I thought you guys might like the news :) Plus, there's always "Three Masters", which, again, is _awesome._**

 **I know I've been kind of inactive lately. Or maybe I haven't, but I still feel like it, sometimes. I think it's mostly because of my new, original work and how different it feels to write my own work, working with my own characters, having the freedom to take the direction of the story wherever I want without thinking, "Wait, is this what really should happen...?"**

 **Again, I'm not abandoning fan fiction. Like I said, I've finished two stories that aren't one-shots. I'm just, well, giving an update on things and stuff. You guys are my readers, and I should appreciate that and let you know some things, especially things that are related to my writing.**

 **Thanks for reading, everyone! See you next week!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello everyone. I know I haven't posted in a while, and I'm sorry. I was busy practising for my debate competition (which I lost, but hey, at least I got a cute boy's IG), and then other things came up, aaaaaaandddd... now I have a fever.**

 **I, an introvert, tried to be an extrovert, and this is the result.**

 **Ugh. I'll never go outside of my room ever again.**

* * *

Fortunately, there was a hotel not too far from where they'd oh-so-gracefully arrived.

Unfortunately, the hotel wasn't a five-star.

She doubted it was even a four-star…

 _I really hope this is all worth it,_ the wealthy girl thought as they arrived in their room, wrinkling her nose at how small it all was. It was two-thirds the space of their dorm - perhaps smaller. There was a small couch, a dresser, and no TV. And she would've called the interior design awful… if there actually _was a_ design crafting this place. It looked like someone just decided to put random objects wherever they felt like it.

 _And worst of all, there's only one bed!_

"C'mon, Weiss," groaned the tasteless-commoner known as Yang Xiao Long. "We're not even sure if we'll spend the night here."

"It'll take us three hours to return to Beacon with this storm," she pointed out matter-of-factly. She took a short glance at the window and grunted. "The storm doesn't seem to be getting better." She diverted her eyes to the bed, and that was the last straw. "And _there's only one bed_."

Yang winced, partly wondering why the main issue to the heiress seemed to be the bed and not _everything else that was happening._

 _Seriously…_

 _This day was a waste._

"I'll… take the couch," she muttered in resignation, even if it didn't look too comfortable. She had to make sacrifices and all that, be a good teammate.

"Good."

Though it was mostly with the intention of not pissing off the already pissed-off Ice Queen.

Without any warning, the heiress pulled out her scroll, typed it with her perfectly manicured nails, and moments later, Ruby appeared in what looked like their dorm, silver eyes wide with frantic.

Some of the muscles in Weiss' shoulders relaxed just from seeing her favorite fifteen years old in the world.

"Weiss! Are you alright!?" asked the worried dolt.

The heiress wanted to answer, but Yang beat her to it, holding the scroll up so they both could see their fearless team leader better, giving her baby sister a confident smile. "We're fine, Rubes. Though I think Weissicle is catching a cold."

"What?!" Ruby looked more distressed now than she did when her own sister was _punched into a pillar by a thousand-feet mech_ …

 _Huh… That's disturbing._

"I'm okay, you dolt," said Weiss, wearing the warmest smile Yang had ever seen, which- okay, wasn't _that_ warm, but still. "Just… I didn't expect the blizzard to be that strong, is all."

Yang blinked, slowly turning to regard her teammate.

"Princess," she said in a tone a mother would use to her child. "It's a blizzard. How can it not be strong?"

"Weiss!" whined Ruby. The screen shook as the brunette stomped her feet. "You should've- Wait, girls, where are you?"

"In a love motel."

"WHAT?!" screamed Weiss in a high pitch.

"WEISS?!" screamed Ruby in an even higher pitch.

"RUBY THAT IS _NOT_ TRUE AT ALL!" Weiss extended her hand as if to reach out the digital girl.

Meanwhile, Yang's stomach hurt with how badly she was laughing. She doubled-over, snickering so much she wheezed. "Sorry," she said in-between her chuckles, "I just had to do it-" she swallowed, getting a better grip over her bursts of laughter. She wiped an imaginary tear away, sighing blissfully despite the burning and frosty glares her team was sending her. "Man, you should've seen the look on your faces!"

After making sure Yang wouldn't say any more lewd and dishonest statements, the heiress cleared her throat, feigning composure. "What your _brute_ of a sister is _trying_ to say is that we decided to stay in the hotel for the time being, until the snow dies down."

Ruby cocked her head to the side. "Wait, it's still snowing where you guys are?"

"Like crazy," answered Yang bluntly.

"Oh…" Weiss and Yang heard the shuffling sound of a foot against the floor. "Well, umm…" Ruby bit her lip, hesitant, but pressed forward her question. "Did you find Blake?"

That wiped any semblance of a smile etched on the brawler's face.

She walked away from them with nothing but a blank look on her face, sitting down on the couch, suddenly finding her weapon to be far more interesting than whatever they were discussing.

Weiss watched her sadly as she tried to pretend none of this bothered her.

Out of everyone, she must be the most anxious, most worried, and most heartbroken to know that her own partner - the girl she loved, even if she couldn't admit it yet - ran off without telling them.

Yang tried not to let it show, tried to keep herself calm for both of their sakes and for the sake of finding Blake.

But Weiss saw.

Weiss understood.

Slowly, she turned to look at her curious, uninformed leader. "No, but we have reasons to believe one of the… victims… from the Rogue Fang's experiments have escaped."

Ruby gasped. "We should tell Professor Goodwitch!"

Weiss blinked. The thought hadn't crossed her mind. But the more she thought of it, the more she concluded it was a great idea. For many reasons. "I… That would be reasonable, yes. We believe that this trail can lead us to Blake since she must also be looking for the victim."

"That's… not a very good idea," reasoned Ruby.

"Yes," grunted Weiss. "But it's the only idea we have at the time. We went to the location where it was last seen, found nothing other than the hotel we're currently staying in."

This whole plan was a bust, Weiss didn't say.

Her entire day was wasted, Weiss didn't say.

She was freezing, Weiss didn't say.

She wanted to _strangle_ Blake, Weiss didn't say.

Ruby smiled stiffly, almost as if she heard Weiss' unspoken words. "Right, right…" She looked down for a moment. "Where's 'here', exactly?"

"Downtown Vale." It only occurred to her now that, with how adamant she was to find a place to rest, she didn't even know the name of the hotel. "I'll… send you our location. Will that be enough?"

"Yeah, yeah." Ruby looked at her sadly, and Weiss couldn't help but look back in a similar manner. The dolt must've been really worried about them - not to mention lonely. It was early noon when they headed out, and now it was nighttime already. "Just be careful, Weiss. Love you."

Weiss wanted to respond in kind but stopped when she felt a pair of purple eyes boring into her back.

"Ruby!" she chastised with burning cheeks. "Your sister is still here with us!"

Yang simple gave a cough. A very fake, very meaningful cough.

"You didn't turn off the speaker?!"

"No!"

And for a while, they simply stared at each other's blushes, until...

"You deal with her, bye."

"No, wait, Ruby-" And… Ruby hung up on her. "Dolt," she couldn't help but mutter in both endearment and annoyance.

"Wow," a chuckling voice called from the back. "I can feel the love."

Weiss could practically _hear_ her smiling.

"Can it, Xiao Long," she said as she glared from over her shoulder, finding Yang sticking out her tongue. " _Very_ mature."

Despite it all, the room fell into a peaceful silence.

Now that the rush and adrenaline had vanished, Weiss only now began to feel the cold in her feet and the warmth on her forehead.

 _Great. I really am sick._

Luckily, it wasn't anything major such as a fever or the flu. Perhaps she was merely cold. Still… she couldn't let her condition worsen.

She boiled a cup of warm coffee to ease herself and grabbed all of the blankets the room provided them, cocooning herself, ignoring the look of worry her teammate was giving her.

She wasn't that ill, really. She just… needed sleep. A long, peaceful sleep, then she'd be back to one-hundred percent.

"Hey, Weiss…"

Yang bit her lip hesitantly, quickly backpedaling when the heiress didn't even look up from the mug she was holding. She simply sighed in resignation, as if she'd been anticipating it. "Is it about us being a couple?" Yang raised an eyebrow. No. Well, yes, sort of, but not for the reasons she thought. "I…" Weiss shook her head and took a small breath, composing herself. "Look, I wanted your blessings from _before_ I asked her out, but Ruby _insisted_ we keep it between us until we're more... certain."

Yang blinked, leaning forward from the couch to better look at the heiress.

The princess and her sister were close. That much was obvious. Not only would they make a cute couple, but they also had a good influence on each other as well. Weiss taught Ruby how to better her grades and be more responsible, and Ruby taught the ice queen how to be less… well… less like a prissy, prickly, snobby rich girl.

She looked down for a moment before putting on her less toothy, more genuine smile. "Well, that's nice to hear. You'll always have my blessings, Weiss." At the heiress' surprised face, she added, "You treat my lil' sis right. You put up with her cookie addictions _and_ weapon obsessions." She knowingly nodded. "I think you two can hit it off."

Weiss was too caught-off-guard to come up with a witty remark. Instead, she smiled back, and it didn't look forced - for once. "That's… kind of you."

Yang could only shrug.

She wasn't sure if she was being kind. Reasonable, sure, but kind may be stretching it a little too thin.

Weiss was smart, responsible, and wasn't the type to want to mess with people's feelings. Not to mention she genuinely wanted Ruby to grow and be the best version of herself she could ever be.

Why _wouldn't_ Yang approve?

Though… knowing that Ruby and Weiss were involved like _that_ made her feel... weird.

It pained her to admit it, but well…

Yang envied them.

"Is everything alright?"

The blonde muttered a soft curse under her breath, wishing her friend wasn't so perceptive. "Yeah, yeah, of course!" she tried, forcing herself to smile jovially.

For a long while, Weiss simply stared.

"... I can see where Ruby got her _tremendous_ lying skills from."

And the crumbling, loose mask of happiness broke. Yang sighed, leaning into the not-so-comfortable couch. "Fine, you caught me…"

A beat passed.

And then another.

And Yang's eyelids began to droop, the exhaustion and sleep-deprivation finally taking their toll.

And then another beat-

"Well?"

Oh, wait, nevermind. That last beat didn't pass.

Because Weiss _broke_ that beat of silence.

Yang didn't want to look at Weiss, afraid that if she did so, then she'd tell herself that it was stupid and didn't matter.

She sighed, looking at the bracelet form of her weapon, mindlessly tracing patterns on it.

"... Aren't you scared?"

"What?" came the expected question.

Yang stopped her administrations for a moment. "You know, you and Ruby are on the same team. Partners, even. What if something were to happen…?" She continued to trace, albeit on a faster tone.

"Something won't happen."

Her fiddling became more forceful. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I know Ruby." That got her to stop and look up. The sight somehow relieved her. Weiss had her eyes closed, looking more at-peace than she'd ever been. It looked like she was… happy. Genuinely happy. "And I know myself. And I know both of us would never try to hurt each other." Weiss opened her eyes to look at Yang. She still was happy, but her face hardened ever-so-slightly. "And I know that if things didn't work out… We won't suddenly start to hate each other. Nor will things get awkward."

"You're... not scared?" she had to ask.

Weiss gritted teeth at the question, forcing herself not to snap at the blonde. "Of course I'm scared," she spoke softly yet sternly. "But at the same time, I know my fears aren't well-founded. I can't let my fears prevent me from chasing my dreams." Not anymore, she didn't say. "I thought you can't, either, thrillseeker."

Yang's mouth twitched in mirth at that nickname.

But that mirth could only last for so long.

She looked back down on her weapon again, refusing to look at her friend.

She found the golden image of a troubled, lost girl.

It took Yang a moment to realize that girl was her.

"Yeah… But this is different…"

Since when did Yang Xiao Long wear the face of a troubled, lost girl?

"It's different because you actually care for her."

As much as the thought entertained her, Yang shook her head.

"It's different because she doesn't trust me." Her tone came out more bitter than she'd intended. But Weiss didn't seem offended. Instead, she looked… remorseful. And that somehow made everything worse.

"Yang… Blake trusts you."

Weiss' voice, face, and tone _showed_ honesty. But her words… Yang didn't- couldn't believe them.

"Then why does she keep running away from me?"

Yang didn't like how her voice quivered, out of her control.

It made her feel vulnerable.

"Yang…"

But then again, it was always alright to be vulnerable in front of her friend, wasn't it?

"I just…" She sighed and decided to bite the bullet. It wasn't as if sharing her feelings to her friends would make everything worse. "I don't know what to do with her, Weiss. She keeps running away and I can't understand why. Does she… does she hate me? Did I do something wrong?"

"Yang…" A small pause. "You're a wreck."

Yang's mouth and eyes gaped open.

"Jeez, way to make a gal feel special."

"I'm serious." The heiress' tone caused her to flinch and look up. Indeed, Weiss looked serious. Not to mention furious. "Ever since you got back from the mission, you've been a wreck. You blew up at Ruby and I countless times." Yang, again, flinched. She had no idea... "You even beat up that poor innocent bartender."

She groaned. "Oh my fuck, Weiss, for the last time, he is not-"

"Not the point, Yang," Weiss cut off, looking down on her mug to gather her thoughts better. "The point is, you've been unjustifiably angry at us. One might even say you don't want anything to do with us."

"That's not true!" Yang stood up from the couch, looking at the heiress in shock. Was that… Did they really think that? Sure, she was- she was being a bit… of a bitch, but… she thought… she didn't mean… she would _never_ …

Yang's reaction caused Weiss to put a hand over her mouth, giggling lightly. "We know." She raised one amused eyebrow. "And that's why we didn't let you run after Blake on your own."

Yang sighed, running a hand through her hair, squeezing it gently. "Sorry, I guess… I guess I wasn't being a good friend lately." She looked down, muttering softly, "Nor a good partner…"

Weiss looked at her friend once more.

This was going to get a little personal, even if the blonde didn't realize it.

She looked down at her blackened reflection, taking a tentative sip at the now-lukewarm coffee.

"People… react to sensitive situations in different ways," she began. " _Some_ people run, _others_ throw a tantrum." She gave the blonde a reprimanding look. "But well, you know, _reasonable_ human beings tend to simply talk about what disturbs them and take healthy steps to move on from the issue."

Yang chuckled and muttered an impish "Sorry", to which the heiress shook her head with a smile. She never took offense to the blonde's behavior, neither did Ruby. Yang was still her teammate, her friend. She was just… dealing with things.

Which was why it was her job - as the self-titled best teammate - to set her head straight.

"Yang, sometimes we just… do things we don't want to do. Say things we don't want to say." Weiss, of all people, understood. She didn't get the nickname 'Ice Queen' for nothing, after all. "And… it's up to those we love to bring us back."

Yang's jaw hung open at that, and it took all of her effort to push down her blush. With a few steps, she closed the distance between them, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder in that comforting, friendly gesture.

"Weiss…"

The girl in question released a breath. "What I'm saying is, we make mistakes. And that's _alright_ ," she stressed, boring her eyes into her friend's lilac ones. And then she broke into a smile. "That's why we have partners, to keep us in line, to make sure we won't make that mistake again."

Weiss saw the mist behind those lilac eyes clearing, the familiar fire flickering to life.

And then Yang smiled.

… And then Weiss broke the moment by saying, "That's what girlfriends are for, too."

Yang was as red as her sister's name - both first _and_ last name. "Blake and I aren't-"

"Oh, don't give me that!" she scolded with a roll of the eyes. "You two are glued to the hip so tightly you might as well be!" Yang suddenly flinched, her face wearing a troubled expression. In a heartbeat, she knew why. "Yang." When the blonde didn't look at her, Weiss more forcefully said, " _Yang._ It's in her nature to run away, just as it is in your nature to blow a fuse, even if you don't want to."

A deep sigh.

A look at her hands.

A determination as she clenched those hands.

"... And it's my job to bring her back."

"Our job," Weiss deadpanned softly, glad that her brute of a friend was finally feeling - at least - a little better about this whole ordeal… no matter how disturbing it all was and how much she wished she could bleach her mind and forget everything there was to know about the Rogue Fang and those experiments.

Yang grinned that confident, infamous Xiao Long grin that always annoyed her, pulling a thumb up.

"Sure thing, Wei-" a yawn broke through. "Weiss."

"... You haven't slept, have you?"

She was guilty as charged. "I did. It… just wasn't a restful one."

Weiss was unconvinced, her eyebrows flattened down, her mouth curled down. "Really?"

Yang bit her lip for a moment, looking down in thought before giving Weiss an unconvincing grin. "Maybe a quick walk will wake me up a bit - only, like, a few minutes. Scan the perimeters, look for more clues and… stuff."

Weiss blinked, puzzled. It was obvious that Yang wasn't telling the whole truth but at the same time… who was she to tell her friend what she could and couldn't do?

"Right," she decided, shaking her head. "You do that. I'll stay here and get some rest, like a rational human-" The door slammed closed before she could even finish her sentence.

 _A couple of minutes, she said…_

Weiss checked the time on her scroll. It was seven fifteen. That was… acceptable, she supposed, even if she couldn't understand why the blonde would want to scan the perimeters and look for more clues and 'stuff' in this hour, and why she needed to wake herself up a bit despite it being this late already.

 _Teenagers are confusing,_ the teenager thought with a grunt.

She then yawned quite loudly - it was unladylike, but it wasn't as if someone was watching.

She was really tired…

 _Maybe I should just… rest…_

Not even a minute later, Weiss Schnee was out like a light, snoring away blissfully. Ignorantly.

…

Blake.

Just thinking about the name gave her stomach this weird sort of flutter. She didn't know whether or not it was a good thing.

She was… confused. Lost.

But then again, wasn't everybody?

She cursed when a particularly hard wind blew against her, messing up her prized mane. _Dammit, not the hair._ She stopped in her tracks to fix her hair again, making sure each strand were in the right place.

The street was empty even though it wasn't snowing anymore. Her mind wandered back to Beacon, thinking about her little sister and how she was faring with all of this, then to her teacher, Glynda, hoping she had a stroke of better luck accomplishing her goal than her, and to Weiss and how she'd lied about 'scanning the perimeters'.

No… She never intended to do that. Even now, she was walking aimlessly, just letting her feet take her wherever they desired.

She needed some time alone to think, she supposed. About Blake. About herself. About whatever feelings were between them.

Did… did Yang want them to be more than just partners?

Of course she did. Blake was amazing and mysterious and smart and witty and who _wouldn't_ want to be with her?!

But… did Blake want so as well?

And that was when her treacherous mind did a flashback to the night Blake kissed her.

… Okay, so…

It was a big maybe…

Blake still did say that night was a mistake…

But then again, she did it so Yang wouldn't chase after her, wouldn't come with her on her suicide mission…

 _So…_

 _What's the truth?_

Another breeze flew by, causing her hair to get messy _again_. "Oh, c'mon!" It wasn't easy having a golden fabulous mane!

She did her best to make sure each strand was in place-

But then she heard the sound of fabric fluttering against the wind.

She looked up with a gasp, fighter-instincts kicking in as she took her stance, hands clenched into fists, raised on the same level as her head, one foot forward.

Only… no one was there.

No one but a tattered clothing that now lay comfortably on the ground.

 _Oh._ She felt the heat rising to her cheeks. _The wind must've blown it over._

Yang forced herself to relax, running a hand through her hair. _I guess I must be paranoid from all the Rogue Fang thing…_

But could anyone blame her? There was a very fucking high possibility of a fucking powerful-as-fuck monster roaming around the fucking city.

But then a question popped into her head.

 _What time is it?_

And soon, another, more important question followed.

 _And where the hell am I?_

She gulped, looking around the sidewalk, hoping for some kind of direction to appear and guide her, sighing in defeat when nothing of the sort happened.

 _I must've lost track of time._

… _Weiss is going to kill me._

Realizing that she had a lot of walking, remembering and panicking to do - mostly panicking, though - Yang let out a loud wail. She didn't care if anyone listened. Today had been a pretty fucking hard day.

Then, another, softer wind blew and the fabric fluttered again, drawing her attention.

She then noticed something odd about it.

It wasn't just any fabric.

It was a coat.

It was a yellow coat.

In a heartbeat, Yang pulled the stiff, snow-coated clothing, inspecting it in distraught.

She tried telling herself it was just a piece of clothing, nothing special, even if it looked just like her old coat.

 _Everybody owns cloaks, after all!_

… Keyword; tried.

This was her coat.

The last time she saw it, Blake was wearing it.

Blake wore this coat.

Which meant…

Blake was here.

 _Blake was here!_

The wind fluttered to the right direction, so Yang gazed at the left, knowing that was where the coat came from.

It was an alley.

A dark, deep alley away from the civilian life.

Yang tried telling herself to go back, or at least to go and grab Weiss so she wouldn't step into her demise alone…

But the real chance of any danger was slim.

And the chance that she couldn't deal with it was practically nonexistent. She was a huntress, for dust's sake!

 _Well, I did say I want to scan the perimeters…_

 _And… Blake might be there…_

No matter how slim the possibility of finding anything that could lead her to Blake…

She still had to take the chance.

 _This is Blake, after all._

She was alone. She didn't know where her teammate was. There was a large possibility that who she would encounter was the beast she knew had been roaming this side of Vale - the beast that, according to Glynda, had more power in them than any hunstmen or huntresses.

But then the thought of Blake filtered her mind, reminding her of why she was here in the first place.

… _There's no getting out of here, is there?_

 _Shit,_ thought the idiotic blonde as she stepped into the unknown.


	13. Cold

**Author's Notes:**

 **Before I get to edit Chapter 12 and format it to look good... I deleted it.**

 **Insert wince. Yeah. I'm still under the weather. My stuffy nose won't stop being stuffy after, like, 10 days now. It's really starting to worry me, especially since I've taken my medicines. Me and my mom will go to the doctor today. Let's hope it's nothing serious.**

* * *

 **Co-Writer:**

 ** _FeugoFox42._ Seriously, guys. Check him out. His work is super dope.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER XIII**

 **Cold**

* * *

Everything was cold.

So very cold.

It was as if warmth never existed.

As if pain was the only world she knew.

The frost. It… swallowed her - every fiber of her being was consumed by it.

It wasn't that bad, at first. She was able to shrug it off.

But, like moss, it grew. No, like a weed, a parasite. It fed off of what semblance of heat she had left. Little by little, it took and threw away her warmth, replacing it with the _suffocating_ coldness.

By the time she realized what was happening, it was far too late.

Every building was on lockdown. And the people inside had shut themselves off from the outside.

No matter how much she yelled and begged and threatened, the people of Vale was simply far too sane to open their barricade in the blizzard to let a stranger- no, a monster in.

Because that was who she was now, wasn't she?

Fur. Fangs. An impulse to break, to destroy, to hurt.

She was no better than Grimm… No, at least the Grimm didn't have friends nor partners. The Grimm didn't have a responsibility, a life.

… Man.

What an odd way to die. Freezing to death, that was.

Whenever she thought of reaching the end of her life, she had the image of herself dying in battle, either against Grimm or humans and Faunus alike, either alone or with the people she'd come to trust and respect and proud to call friends. Not like this, though.

 _This is..._

 _Pathetic._

Her consciousness faded in and out, rendering her unable to tell the time. Unable to tell anything, really. Anything apart from the cold.

And her sanity…

It was almost nonexistent at this point.

… She should be worried about it, if is wasn't for the fact that she was far too cold to harm anyone. Her limbs felt like icicles stuck to her torso, a present yet unnecessary weight to lug around. The violent shivering that shook her body was out of her control. Her vision was blurry from the tears of her straining to fight through it and from her flitting consciousness, and she had no doubt that her eyes were red and puffy from it all too.

She was nothing more than deadweight. Well, _close_ to deadweight, seeing as how she wasn't dead _yet._

Should… should she feel something? Anything?

Maybe she should feel sadness. For being where she was. For being who and what she was now.

Or maybe she should feel anger. For surviving many dangers only to wither here and now.

… Regret.

Yeah.

That was what she should feel.

For what she did to her team. Her friends.

For what she did to Yang.

She…

She was such a coward for hiding her feelings.

She realized that now. It had something to do with dying, she supposed; she realized that… in what she believed to be her dying moments… that she should've been braver. Smarter.

Maybe there really was a way for her friends to help her.

Maybe they really wouldn't consider her a monster.

Maybe…

 _Maybe there can be an 'us'._

But now she would never know, would she?

Because by the time anyone found her, she'd either be dead or a monster.

She prayed it was the former.

All this time, she'd wanted to prove she was not a monster.

It would be a pity if her struggles were futile.

 _I guess this is it, huh…?_

… _I miss Yang._

 _I wish she was here right now._

… And she must've wished too hard because suddenly, Yang _was_ here.

Well…

She didn't exactly see Yang herself since her world had become pitch black for quite some time, but…

This familiar warmth.

She recognized it.

It must be Yang's. No. It was too good to be true.

… _And now I'm hallucinating,_ she rationalized. No way the Gods of this world were listening to her to grant such a pointless request in her waning moments.

But at least it was a good hallucination to go out on. Heh.

For a while, Blake lay there, doing nothing other than breathing almost fruitlessly and enjoying the warmth before her imminent death.

But the imminent never came.

Instead, something else came…

Something much more dangerous.

Hope.

It was as though a lifetime had passed in limbo. A crazy, spiraling limbo that felt like a heartbeat and an eternity. And during that lifetime, she grew more and more impatient. Death was supposed to be the end, but the end was nowhere near, like running on a treadmill to reach the end of a tunnel that was forever moving further out of reach. Until finally, her resolve broke, and she was unable to sit idly by not knowing _anything._

"Yang…?"

She dared herself to leave the pitch black world and into the more uncertain one, all for a hunch, for a hope she that was too bright for her to ignore.

She could feel the warmth even better. Clearer. As though someone had previously restrained it, and now it enveloped her with all its might, no holding back.

And she could also feel tears that were not her own, dripping down to her face, causing her to blink a couple of times.

And then she heard badly-muffled sobs and hiccups.

Oh.

Someone was crying.

… It made her sad, to see them cry. Though she couldn't understand why.

"Don't cry," she whispered, her voice dry and weak.

A laugh broke out of those cries.

"B-Blake…"

That voice.

She recognizes it.

… Just hearing it brought her a sense of relief like no other.

It felt like she was whole again. But the emotion behind it, that was foreign to her. She never associated distress and fear with that voice. It was… unfitting. Like a dog chirping or a fish flying.

"Blake… I- d-don't worry, okay? It's all- everything's gonna be okay, yeah?"

She doubted that.

She was running out of time.

But…

She didn't want Yang to be unhappy.

So she chose not to say anything.

She refused to tell the truth.

After all, there was something that mattered more.

 **…**

Maybe minutes had passed.

Maybe an hour.

Maybe the sun began to rise over the horizon.

Yang didn't know.

She didn't care either.

Dazed yellow orbs revealed themselves to the world.

And Yang couldn't be happier.

She watched with hawk eyes as those eyes darted around, looking at the uneven ground, to the pools of snow showering them, before finally settling in on…

"Yang…"

The blonde could see a goldened reflection of herself in those wide, glassy eyes. She could breathe easier knowing Blake was conscious, if out of it. Finally.

"Yeah," she croaked, fully aware of the tremble in her voice. "It's me."

For a long while, they simply stared each other.

The mist in Blake's eyes cleared, even if just a bit. And she finally noticed the kind of position she was currently in.

"What're you doing…?"

"Warming you up." It was extremely hard for Yang to say that with a straight face. Her statement sounded more like a question, too.

Despite the exhaustion weighing her down, Blake slightly cocked her eyebrow. "Really…?"

Yang flushed. She didn't exactly want to envelop the girl in a hug - sure, she'd dreamed about it more times than she felt comfortable admitting, but not like _this_ \- but she had no choice.

"I'm the human equivalent of a portable heater, remember? The cold never bothered me anyway." She tried to flash her charming, Xiao Long smile. It ended up falling flat. Blake didn't seem to notice, though.

As soon as she found her partner lying down with tattered clothes, shivering and barely breathing, she knew her semblance would finally be of use.

The blonde activated her heat, letting it flow through her body before pressing herself against her partner as closely as possible.

She was spooning the Faunus, practically.

In any other scenario, she would've been ecstatic.

But now, her heart and her mind were racing all over the place, and they were on opposite tracks. She- she should call for help. Wait- no- she could get outside help later- she couldn't afford to leave Blake while she was like this, not now.

Blake desperately needed heat.

Heat only Yang could provide.

"We'll need to get you out of those clothes as soon as possible," she commented, gazing down at the girl, swallowing immediately.

Blake was… different; that much was obvious. But despite it all…

Yang didn't see the fur painting her arms. She didn't see the claws that had yet been retracted. She didn't see the tail latching desperately around her bare stomach - a weak attempt to preserve heat. She didn't see the sharp, pointy ears, barely concealed by the ruffled bow. She didn't see the fangs poking out of her mouth.

She took notice of them, of course, but…

She didn't _see_ those things.

All she saw was her terrified partner, fighting to survive the elements right at this moment. Her partner who had felt the need to hide her curse from everyone. Her partner who… had hurt her. Her partner who she had hurt.

All she saw was Blake. Her partner.

And now that same partner shifted her body just so she could look up at her and gave her a scolding look. "Not… appropriate."

Yang scoffed. A watery grin broke out of her mouth moments later. "What? It's true! Your clothes are going to keep you from warming up properly." Blake pouted. The blonde gave her a playful glare in return. With no mirth behind her words, Yang reminded her that "You should know this."

But then again, Blake didn't seem all that lucid.

Yang saw the battle her partner was fighting inside herself, how her pupils would widen and shrink almost uncontrollably, how ragged her breathing was, how warm her forehead was despite the chill waging the rest of her body.

But she couldn't afford to worry about that. Not now.

Keep Blake warm.

That had become a mantra for her. The only thing keeping her sane, and even that wasn't a complete truth.

Her mind and heart and everything reeled. She was enraged. She was saddened. She was confused.

She was many things.

But, most of all…

She was simply exhausted.

"You're warm," she heard Blake mutter. "It's... nice." Yang chuckled. And then she laughed, wildly and freely even as tears fell down from her face. Like water pouring out of a shattered dam, she couldn't control it.

Blake pushed herself against the blonde with the strength of a kitten. With her almost-limp hand, she brushed away one trail of tear only for another to fall down.

"Why are you crying?"

Yang forced a giggle in hopes of lessening Blake's worries. "Because I'm worried for you, you big dummy."

Genuine surprise etched on the tired girl's face. "You never called me a dummy before…"

"Yeah, well you've never had a tail before," she retorted.

"Touché."

Yang's warmth was always addictive. She'd always wanted more than a glimpse of it.

And now… It was the only thing keeping her going.

Blake tried her hardest to focus, to not let herself be drowned into nothingness.

It was a losing battle.

But it was a battle she had to fight nonetheless.

Not for herself, of course, but for Yang.

If she lost herself now, then… her partner would be sad.

And Blake didn't want that.

She was only vaguely aware of her partner sobbing and hiccuping and trying to hide her sobs and hiccups by burying her face in her dark tresses.

"Yang… Are you alright?"

"It's funny that you're asking that, Blake. I- I mean, look at you! How were you able to hide a fucking tai- _oh my gosh, my coat_. Fuck. A-and is this why you started wearing the bow again…?"

She could barely hear half of those words.

But she didn't need to hear in order for her to understand.

Yang knew.

The secret was unraveled, at long last.

"Surprise…?" was the only thing her confused mind deemed appropriate as an answer.

"Blake. Fuck. I want to be so, _so_ mad at you."

Yang couldn't understand why, of all the things she should be feeling, relief was flooding through her veins.

Maybe it was because they were back together again and the distance they set for each other seemingly vanished.

Maybe it was because Blake wasn't as cold as before, even if she was still freezing and in need of medical attention.

Maybe…

Maybe Yang was simply relieved to be able to see those eyes again, to hear that voice again, to smell that forest scent again, and to feel that comforting calmness only her partner could emanate.

"I'm sorry…"

Yang blinked back to reality.

Blake was still shivering.

She frowned, blowing a puff of frosty air before saying, "We need to get you to a hospital."

Her partner tensed against her and shifted. For a heartbeat, Yang feared Blake would push away from her in fear or disgust or hatred.

But Blake never pushed away.

If anything, she sank into her embrace even more, withering.

"No. Not like… this."

Yang's heart sank.

Did Blake truly believe she was at fault for everything that had happened to her?

Did Blake view herself as the monster, even when clearly, she was the victim?

It hurt.

It made her want to cry even more.

But Yang couldn't afford to do that. She needed to be strong. For Blake.

She took a deep breath and fruitlessly attempted to calm her breathing and heartbeat. "Look, just… let's worry about that later, yeah? I won't take you to the hospital, not unless I absolutely have no choice _but_ to."

It wasn't a complete lie, of course.

Yang doubted any normal hospital would be able to treat Blake's illness - and not the one causing her to freeze.

No matter how much Blake was getting better, she needed real treatment. Proper treatment. Treatment Yang couldn't give.

Only Beacon could help Blake.

And they would help her.

Or else… Or else she'd burn and tear and shoot everything down.

"You've caught hypothermia - it's only mild at the moment," she lied, "but it's hypothermia all the same. Your core temperature has dropped, and if it gets any lower, it'll be hard for me to help you _without_ anyone else helping me." When Blake still didn't look convinced, she added almost desperately, "We can talk later when I bring you back to the hotel."

It was getting harder to think straight - not that she had been thinking straight in the first place.

Blake needed to tell her.

Her partner needed to know.

"I know where he is…"

The grip she had on the weak girl tightened. "We'll tell Glynda."

If Blake had the strength to do so, she would've shaken her head. "I'm so close… Just a few more..."

"Blake… Don't. Just… _don't_."

There was a sense of finality in Yang's tone.

A desperate finality, as if there were no other options but for them to stop.

Yang still didn't understand.

So Blake tried one more time.

"I _need_ to find him."

Hearing Blake say that made her feel all kinds of rage. And somehow she was able to keep them from showing. Or maybe they did show and Blake was too delusional to notice or noticed and simply not care.

"... You don't, Blake." Her voice was a rough whisper and she flared her semblance even more. "You never have. It's never on you, this whole thing. You don't need to carry this burden. Especially not all by yourself."

Why couldn't Blake understand that?

This time, Blake did push herself against Yang. Or tried to, anyway.

Yang bit her lip, reluctant, but she loosened her grip, allowing her partner to move more freely.

And suddenly the Faunus tried to push herself from the snowy ground with a speed that could rival her sister's.

She would've fallen down too if not for the blonde's quick reflexes.

Yang, awkwardly bending forward, held the Faunus by the shoulder, who propped herself up with her arms, panting heavily.

"H-hey! The hell are you doing?! You're in no condition to be moving!"

Blake's face was hidden by her bangs, her voice cracking as she whispered all-too-desperately, "I have to... or else it'll be too late."

Yang almost didn't ask. She was afraid of what the answer was. There was that old saying about asking questions that shouldn't be answered.

But…

Blake was her partner.

And she needed to help her. In any way she could. Even if she couldn't help at all.

"W-what do you mean?"

There was a sigh. Blake looked up and Yang's heart skipped a beat.

Her brows were on a straight line. Her mouth was pursed and her jaw was clenched. They spoke no emotions, no thoughts, nothing.

… Yet her glowing, teary eyes spoke of crippling pain.

"I'll be stuck like this. For..."

Blake couldn't finish her sentence. But Yang heard the unspoken words.

A beat passed.

All was still and it seemed as though neither of them breathed.

Another beat passed.

Dusty snowflakes dancing around them as a gentle wind blew, contrasting the blizzard crushing Yang's heart.

And another beat passed.

Though her chest felt like it had been hammered and ironed, Yang managed to say "That's precisely why we have to tell Professor Goodwitch" and not have her voice waver or break.

"I'm afraid… it'll be too late by the time she arrives."

"No, no, no, no," whispered Yang as she shook her head vehemently. "It won't be too late, Blake." She then cupped the girl's cheeks, forcing her to look into her eyes. She gritted her teeth, her breathing getting more and more uneven. "You hear me? Blake, repeat after me; you- it- everything's going to be okay!"

Yang didn't understand, did she?

Or rather, she did understand…

She just refused to believe it.

Blake took another deep breath, feeling grimly calm.

Her lips broke into a crooked smile. Her trembling hand found itself gently grabbing the blonde's wrist, tracing circles in it. "I can feel it, Yang. It's… it's hard to think straight, half of the time I can hear his voice, telling me what to do… I'm losing myself. I need to find the man who did this to me."

For a moment, Yang's eyes flashed that burning crimson red. "Blake, _no_. You said it yourself, you're not thinking straight! I won't let you go off on a dangerous mission again!"

Yang could see it clearly.

The image of a motionless Blake, lying in a pool of her own blood, dried tears painting her face.

It unsettled her. Haunted her. Taunted her. To the point where she was unable to close her eyes and let her mind wander without seeing that bloody image.

After the mission went wrong, after everything went wrong, Yang met true fear.

"Yang?"

When she re-opened her eyes, Blake was staring at her worriedly, feline ears drooped down, the grip she had on her wrist clenching and unclenching.

Heh. Her fear must've shown on her face.

Yang didn't even try to smile, knowing that it would look broken anyway.

"Look, let's just… When you're ready, we'll head back to the hotel, call Goodwitch, and… we'll see how it goes. She'll know what to do." _Unlike me,_ she didn't say. "You're going to get back to normal, Blake. Everything will be okay." Everything _had_ to be okay. She wouldn't- _couldn't_ accept otherwise. "Blake, I won't leave you alone. Not for a second. I…" Her eyes watered. Again. "I'm sorry, for shutting you off like that - for not listening. I'm… sorry you have to hide this for me."

Blake blinked, clearing the fog from her mind before smiling that beautiful smile - one that always brightened her world. "I'm sorry too, Yang… For everything I did wrong."

 _Except you didn't do anything wrong,_ she yearned to say, giving into impulse rather quickly, embracing her partner in another hug, a genuine smile breaking from her lips for the first time in seemingly forever when she realized that Blake wasn't as cold as before, so much so that she likely wouldn't need the warmth anymore.

Still, better be safe than sorry.

And Blake was safe. In her arms. Away from that mad scientist. Away from everything that could harm her.

 _We'll… We'll figure it out._

 _Everything's going to be fine._

And she clung desperately to that statement, even if a small part of her knew it wouldn't.

After everything… She… She wanted the world to disappear. Just for a short while. She wanted it to be her and Blake, alone together, free from the threat of Grimm and White Fang and many more.

It was just them; two girls enjoying each other's company.

Yang propped herself to a more comfortable position, leaning against the brick wall, tucking Blake on her. Her arms found themselves resting on her partner's stomach. Her head lolled down to inhale that familiar smell again.

They melted into the embrace.

And the world dimmed down and quieted for a moment.

"Did you really mean it, when you said our… kiss… was a mistake?"

Blake's eyes fluttered open. She was aware that her ability to form proper thoughts were gone at this point. But she was too weak to do anything about it.

"Well… I enjoyed it."

And that was truer than anything.

"Yeah? W-well, me too!" Blake could hear the excitement in her tone, felt the vibrating chuckle.

Blake couldn't help but be excited as well.

"Really?"

Blake shifted before breaking away from her embrace, only to turn and look at her in the eyes.

And man, was that hope shining in those yellow eyes? Or was she just seeing things?

Yang felt like a lovestruck middle-schooler.

If that were true, she would be a happy lovestruck middle-schooler.

"Yeah! I, umm… I know this is a bit weird and all, but, err, I-" Yang cut herself off on purpose by a cough, mentally slapping herself for tripping over her words like this. An infant could speak more coherently than her. "Blake, we've been partners and best friends for a while, and I mean _a while_ ," she chuckled, "and I, umm, sort of, maybe… like you."

The smile on Blake's face was the only thing keeping her going. It was so bright it made her smile as well.

Blake was beautiful. And not just because of her looks.

She was many things. Many amazing things.

No wonder Yang fell in love with her.

"So, umm… would you mind if I maybe... _kiss_ you? Of course, if you don't want to, then that's totally-"

And just like that, Blake pulled the infuriating, annoying, hot-headed, reckless _beautiful_ blonde into a clumsy, messy, _amazing_ kiss.

Neither of them knew how much time had passed.

Neither cared, either.

The kiss deepened, and deepened, and deepened until it became their world and the only world they knew.

They pulled apart only because they needed oxygen.

And both of them missed the contact immediately.

Yang was the first to be pulled out of her trance, and even then, she was still dazed, grinning dopily like a child being given their favorite candy.

"Wow, you… have fangs."

Blake rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you noticed."

A very Xiao Long grin broke out of her lips. "So… does this mean you're... _part of the white fang?"_

Yellow eyebrows wiggled.

Black eyebrows stayed in a straight line.

"... I hate you."

An idea popped into the blonde's head.

She acted on that idea.

And that idea was to be the one to pull the other girl into a kiss.

It was short, fiery, and a tease.

The kind of kiss only Yang and Yang alone could give.

The kind of kiss Blake very much enjoyed.

"Still hate me now?" The Faunus hadn't recovered enough from the kiss to give a proper answer - or any answer, really. The childish blonde took it as denial, apparently, because she flashed a winning smile. "Good!"

They fell into silence once more, for a very long time.

Blake pretended not to notice the look her partner was giving her.

Yang was worried.

Rightfully so.

"How are you feeling?" came the expected question.

Blake felt terrible.

She wasn't cold anymore, but…

Even Yang's warmth of care couldn't dispel her... _curse._

Her fangs didn't disappear.

Her tail was resting peacefully against the concrete wall, flicking every once in a while.

And her mind… Oh, boy. The thought of just not thinking at all and giving into her primal core became more and more tempting with each passing moment.

Yang might not realize it - though Blake had a feeling she soon would… once everything was over - but…

That kiss… the one she pulled Yang into…

It was a farewell kiss.

Yang watched as her adorable face scrunched up, a sign meaning Blake was thinking long and hard. She looked up and murmured, "I'm feeling a little better, but… my throat's dry."

Huh. Now that she thought about it, Blake probably hadn't had anything to drink since… well, since she left Beacon. Wait, had she not eaten anything either?!

Well… She doubted she would get nutritious, edible food in such a short time - even though she'd probably try - but a drink, on the other hand…

"One Earl Grey tea, coming up!"

"Thank you, Yang."

She was determined to get the drink Blake needed to soothe her throat as quickly as possible, not wanting to leave her partner - and perhaps girlfriend? - alone longer than needed.

… So much so that she failed to see the mask falling apart from Blake's face, revealing the face of someone who knew she wasn't going to make it…

And the whispered "I'm sorry, Yang", hidden by the howling wind.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 **News:**

 **I haven't had the time to manage my , make it more appealing for you guys. But if you want to, you can still check it out with this link:**

 **P a treon . com (slash) ClementineDavidson**

 **Not only that, but my Wattpad story has recently started to kick in. I'm actually having loads of fun writing my story! It's a superhero story, but tackled in a new** **perspective. Instead of the superhero being the main character, we have the superhero's admirer be the MC. It's actually quite popular, considering that it's the first original fiction I've written. And, unlike fan fiction, I get to really explore the characters and the world and the story without holding anything back and doubting myself, as I did many times while writing this XD**

 **Check it out, if you have the time. It's called "Suffocating", and my Wattpad username is the same as here; ClementineDavidson.**


	14. Gone

**Author's Notes:**

 **I remembered how hard it was to write this chapter, both the emotional parts and the... other parts. I actually took a break from this project to write a smaller project just because I was so, so scared of messing it up.**

* * *

 **Co-Writer:**

 ** _FeugoFox42_. Guys, seriously. This guy's the best. Check his stuff out!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER XIV**

 **Gone**

* * *

Her footsteps were heavy against the snow. Her feet sunk with every step and Yang cursed at how it slowed her down from getting back to her partner. Despite how much she knew Blake needed to get _something_ into her system, leaving her felt like it was the worst decision ever.

She would soon find out that her feelings were right.

"Blake," she spoke, not yet looking away from her snow-covered boots, lightly shaking the can of cocoa in her hand which she'd heated with her semblance. "I'm sorry, I don't think they serve Earl Grey teas on juice boxes or cans but-"

… Blake was gone.

Yang blinked, the realization not yet settling in on her. Not fully.

The spot where Yang told her to stay, to not move… Blake wasn't there anymore. There was a trail of footsteps against the surface of white, leading to… elsewhere. Where? she didn't know. She didn't think she wanted to know.

"Blake… c'mon now… don't pull this on me."

She tried to put on a smile. It vanished when the noirette still didn't appear out of thin air, surprising her.

She stood for a couple more seconds, waiting until that part of her that believed this was all a horribly-executed prank died.

Blake was gone.

Her boots felt heavier as she walked, as though the snow piling in on top of it were mountains of rocks.

She stopped, her gaze lingering down where her helpless partner once laid. Where they'd shared their first kiss.

She… still couldn't believe it.

Blake had kissed her.

And now…

Blake was gone.

The can on her maddening grip shrunk and dented… before it shattered in half completely before her eyes.

And for one simple heartbeat, the liquid flowing out was blood red.

Blake was gone.

"No…"

She fell to her knees instantly.

Why?

Why?

 _Why?!_

Why did she abandon her?! What did Blake have to hide from her anymore?! Did she really matter that little to her?!

It was then that Yang finally noticed a small black fabric, surrounded by snow.

She grabbed it, her touch gentle as if holding a sick kitten.

A puff of cold air appeared before her as she drew out a sigh.

Did… Did Blake not trust her?

Did Blake not care about her?

She let her eyes close. They felt so heavy… They'd felt heavy for a long, long while now… She'd been dying to let them stay closed for hours.

She wanted so, so badly for this to be over.

She just…

She didn't want anything to happen to Blake…

Was that really so selfish of her…?

Maybe…

Maybe she should just… let her go. _Give up._

 _It's…_

 _It's obvious Blake doesn't want me to chase after her right now…_

 _I should just…_

 _Respect her wishes._

And in doing so, she could try to find her way back to the hotel, warned Weiss about Blake's… abnormality, maybe get in help from Beacon. If Glynda knew one of her own students was affected by the weird virus-thingie then she'd definitely send in a search party - professional adults whose _jobs_ were to search and find missing people.

They'd…

They'd actually be able to find her, get real clues, find real connections… and not just… not just screw around in a bar all day, beat some guy up, and depend on a rumor to set on their path… on _her_ path. She was so in over her head that even the dude she beat up literally told her it was a bad idea.

… _Face it, you got all the way here just because you're lucky._

It had nothing to do with skills nor thinking nor… anything, really.

She just…

Stumbled into a place where Blake happened to be in…

And even then, she couldn't bring Blake back, couldn't make her stay…

She'd failed.

 _I… I should just… do the right thing._

… A single snowflake swayed from above, resting in front of her, where her partner once laid, helpless and hopeless and terrified.

The memory of their kiss warped itself around her head.

For a moment, Blake was there, lips still connecting to hers, that same electrifying, addicting feeling coursing its way into her body, making her feel as though she was alive, as though she could do anything, as though… as though everything would be okay.

Yang held onto those feelings like a lifeline.

It only occurred to her now that wherever she was now and where she was going… Blake was still as helpless and hopeless and terrified as before, perhaps even more so.

 _And you're going to do nothing about it?_

"... No."

Of course she wasn't.

Blake was her partner, her friend, and much more.

She was the girl she loved.

And, as she recently found out, may also be the girl who loved her.

She…

The vision of Blake all alone and weak and weaponless, facing off whoever it was she was facing…

It didn't sit well with her.

In fact, the vision nauseated her.

"No."

She would _not_ let that vision become a reality.

Yang pictured Blake's smile after the kiss - how she looked as though she was finally able to breathe, finally able to smile and be herself.

She wanted to let that vision become her reality instead.

She'd recklessly burned out half of her semblance all day and burned even more of it trying to warm up her freezing, miserable partner. She didn't even know how much Aura she'd got left, it was hard to tell without a scroll…

Not for the first time, Yang regretted not looking for her scroll the night it went missing.

Though, she didn't need her scroll to deduct she wasn't being her best self. Hell, she wasn't sure if she was being her moderate self either.

Her body was sluggish, her mind fried up, and if she were to look in the mirror, no doubt would she find bags under her eyes; her sleepless nights were finally catching in on her.

She had so little ammo in Ember Celica, and she left all her extra ammo in the hotel - the hotel which she didn't know the direction of and forgot the name of.

She would curse the fact that she was lost… if not for the fact that being lost was what led her to Blake in the first place.

Her legs were shaky as she stood. Her hands still shook after she clenched them.

" _I can hear his voice, telling me what to do…"_

If a fight were to occur…

She might not make it out at all.

… _Heh. As if that's going to stop me from chasing after my stupid partner._

Yang followed the trail of steps, quickening her pace when it became larger and less human the longer the trail went. It didn't take her long to find out where she went.

Blake was gone.

 _And I'm going to bring her back._

 **…**

The ringing sound was muted, at first. But it still pulled her from her slumber. Which she did _not_ like.

Who _dared_ awaken Queen Weiss Schnee from her slumber?! She'd behead them for attempting such a disgraceful, traitorous act! For she was the Ruler of Remnant!

Oh.

Wait.

That was just a dream, wasn't it? She... was saddened by that fact, especially because Dream-Weiss had Ruby Rose as her slave. Heh… That was fun… and also, perhaps _slightly_ inappropriate (it was very inappropriate and she should be ashamed).

Her scroll ringed and buzzed angrily, demanding her to forget about her _very nice_ dream and focus on reality.

Begrudgingly, the half-awake heiress answered the phone, not even taking a moment to see who was calling her.

"Schnee-Rose residence speaking…"

"Weiss," the voice she half-recognized to be her partner's boomed from the other line, quick with urgency. "Weiss, is Yang with you?" She blinked, not fully registering the question. But she didn't have to answer, for Ruby suddenly yelled, "Wait! No! Nevermind! I have to tell you this _now!_ It's important!"

"Hold on." She blindly reached out for the lamp switch, hissing like a vampire exposed to the sun when light invaded her senses.

She took a moment to compose herself - AKA groaning for all of Remnant to hear at having been pulled away from her precious, precious sweet time - before snapping into focus.

"... _What_?"

If Ruby was bothered by her hostility, she was doing a tremendously good job hiding it. "Look, so, after you guys left, I didn't want to just sit around and just wait while you and Yang are working your butts off in the middle of a blizzard or a storm or whatever." That was… acceptable, she supposed. "So I went to the library to look up your location, I wanted to know where you are and all about where you're staying and all that jazz."

"That is… mildly weird."

"Look, I was _bored_ , okay?! And, anyway, there was this pop-up thing and it looked interesting and even though it was a pop-up I was desperate so I clicked on it and _turns out_ there's an old base- a hideout they used to, well, hide years ago, like, 'during The Great Faunus War' years ago, and it's-"

" _Ruby_. Slow down."

Her mind had been jostled awake immediately at the mention of that horrid war for equality, and now she was attentive and fully worried about where the team leader was going with this.

"O-okay, sorry." There was a deep exhale of breath from the other line. "Look, Weiss, I need you to listen carefully, okay? You and Yang did _not_ come to the wrong place. The mission _isn't_ a bust. I'm one hundred percent certain Blake is or will be going to where you guys are now. Do you understand what I'm saying, Weiss?"

"N-no," she said truthfully, if not quite nervously. "I… I don't… What makes you think-"

" _Because_ Weiss… The hideout I was talking about earlier, from the great war…"

A beat passed.

And then another.

And then-

"You're standing on top of it."

Weiss' eyes widened. When Ruby didn't start talking, she urged, "Tell me everything."

"Yeah, so, after I clicked on that pop-up, I spent, like, ten minutes doing research. Apparently, they used to hide down there to surprise us humans, which was sort of interesting but also kind of dark. Maybe that hideout has been closed off, or maybe it didn't exist at all - I mean, I did find it on the internet-"

"But if it is…"

They didn't have any other lead. As vague and farfetched of a shot it was, it was still a shot. And they were desperate. And they missed their teammate dearly.

Plus, Ruby had always been smarter than she was given credit for - she was the team leader, after all - and her instincts were almost always correct.

When Ruby thought something was worth investigating, then something was worth investigating. Simple as that.

Weiss sighed. "I'll tell Yang once she gets back." The blonde brute would not like it if she were to check on this mysterious, hidden place alone… not she'd actually want to do it in the first place. They were teammates! If Weiss was dying, that oaf would be dying with her! There was no choice!

"And when will she get back?"

Weiss wasn't sure. "Probably in five or so minutes. She said she was going on a walk," she added, hoping it would help.

The other line was quiet for a time. It made her uncomfortable. "When did she say this?"

"Twenty minutes ago, right before I fell asleep." Weiss rubbed her temple. "Look, Ruby, I'm sure your sister is-"

"No, Weiss, _what time_ did she say this?"

Weiss paused, quite shocked at the intensity in Ruby's tone. It wiped out any thoughts that the team leader was simply panicking for the sake of panicking. "It must be around nine, o-or maybe eight."

"Weiss… It's almost midnight."

"What?"

"It's eleven twenty," she elaborated.

A heartbeat passed.

And another.

And then another.

"Weiss..." the voice choked, desperate.

"I know, Ruby."

There was a sharp intake of breath as if the girl from the other line was desperately trying not to break down. "Will they be okay?"

Weiss' heart thundered.

Blood rushed in her ears.

And yet the night was quiet, unnaturally so.

The moon - broken as it may be -didn't shine its comforting light. It chose to hide. The stars did the same, vanishing, painting the sky the darkest shade of black.

It was almost as if they didn't want to be present. Not tonight. As if they knew _something_ would happen.

"... I don't know, Ruby."

 **…**

The manhole cover wasn't just dented. It was thoroughly crushed, many feet away from the manhole itself… as if the lid had been ripped apart from it and thrown away…

She saw claw marks.

Claw marks the size of an Ursa.

But she knew better.

It was no Ursa.

The image of her bloodied partner kept flashing into her mind, mocking her, encouraging her to turn back, to simply try to find her way back to her hotel, to get the needed ammo, to get Weiss to call Beacon before dragging the princess along for the ride, to do something - anything - other than this.

But the reasonable part, or perhaps the unreasonable part, thought better.

 _I can't let her go._

She braced herself… and let her body fall down into the abyss.

She landed on the surface and not directly on the murky water. She counted her blessings.

She lifted one foot up - not intending to spend even a second more than necessary in this shitty place - to take a step but…

She couldn't see anything.

She cursed for the hundredth time that night for not bringing a Scroll with her, even if it wasn't hers. At least with a scroll, she could use the screen to produce some sort of light, dim as it may be. All she could see with her inferior human senses were a tunnel of sorts that led her to… somewhere…

 _Yeah, I can't see shit._

But that didn't stop her from pressing forward.

"Blake?! Blake, where are you?!"

The more paranoid part of herself warned that she shouldn't be shouting in a foreign place lest someone with ill-intentions heard her. She'd be able to take them out easy-peasy, of course, but she wasn't too keen on wasting her already dwindling energy on a fight she could've avoided altogether.

Her steps were hesitant, and Yang tensed at how loud they echoed.

 _This is straight out of a horror movie…_

She didn't know how long time must've passed. She couldn't tell the time in this place of pitch black. She couldn't tell many things, really.

There was this part of her that kept on telling her to go back while she still could, and this part grew larger and more believable the longer she walked inside the underground.

But then she saw a black silhouette on the far corner of the slightly-less black place, and she stopped only to see that silhouette disappeared into the corner.

She couldn't see that much.

But she saw that it, the inhuman-looking silhouette - walked - or rather ran - on four legs. And that was enough.

Yang was no fool.

She knew full well what she was about to face.

She knew how small her chance of success was.

And she still continued on her path anyway, following the invisible trails of the beast that she suspected used to be someone she was very close with.

 _No. Stop. There's still hope._

That hope withered when she was at that corner only to realize there were five paths ahead of her. Five more tunnels that could lead her to dust-knows-where.

Five tunnels.

Four possibilities she couldn't find Blake.

Only one possibility that she saved Blake, and even then, it was a small possibility. Too small to be realistic.

"No…"

The desperation flashed into anger in a heartbeat.

"NO!"

She didn't have _time_ for this, didn't have time to make a choice as dire as this. Blake could be anywhere by now. She could- she could even be facing _him_ right now.

She- she- she couldn't just stand here and do nothing!

But… but…

But she couldn't afford to make the wrong choice too.

Her teeth were gritted so hard they might break. Her breathing heavied with each exhale. Her fists were clenched and she had the sudden urge to direct her frustration onto the wall beside her. It was better than to stand here looking like an idiot, after all.

She pulled her fist back, eyes already red…

But then she froze and gazed at the wall, eyes slowly dimming down to a calm shade of calculating purple.

Her muscles relaxed but stayed firm. She stepped forward onto the wall, pressing her hand against the stack of bricks, gently brushing down.

Those eyes continued to calculate. And suddenly they widened.

And she gave that brick wall a satisfying punch that shook the tunnels, creating a sound not unlike a roaring, furious dragon.

The smoke and debris didn't clear for a long while.

She couldn't see what was in front of her.

But she didn't need to.

A humorless chuckle. "What good are secret doors if our so-called heroines will simply waltz through the wall?"

Her heart drummed at her chest, creating this almost sick feeling, as though she could pass out at any moment.

She'd done it.

The very thing she promised herself not to do.

She'd thrown herself into the lion's den.

When the smoke finally cleared, she wasn't surprised to find that the place looked like a bunker, with canned foods stashed on the rows and rows of shelves. There was a metal door on the far corner, opened, leading to dust-knows-where.

But Yang couldn't afford to focus on that door…

Instead…

All she could focus on was the person standing in the middle of it all…

The mad man. The sicko. The one who caused all of this madness. The one who'd hurt Blake.

And he was looking at her like how one would look at an insect, fox ears standing highly and proudly, alert. A bag was slung over his shoulder, and she could see scribbled papers poking out of it, cramping its space.

She gulped, overwhelmed.

It only dawned on her now. Right at this moment.

This man… no, this _monster…_

He could very well kill her. In one way or another.

He…

He posed that big of a threat.

She…

She couldn't afford to do anything reckless. She… she…

What should she do?

"What's wrong, simpleton? Are you at loss for words?"

And then it hit her.

What exactly she should do.

It was the very same reason why she chose to come down here in the first place.

The only reason keeping her from freaking the fuck out.

"Where is Blake?"

She activated her weapon, letting the familiar gold palette of Ember and Celica slithering around her hands.

The clicking sound indicating she was armed and ready was music to her ears.

"Whoever do you mean?" The cheeky, disgusting smile gracing his lips told her he knew exactly who she meant.

She aimed her fist onto him - his head to be exact. Did he have huntsman-training? Did he have any training at all? What about his semblance? How dangerous was it?

She narrowed her eyes at the way he eyed her weapons. Though facial features never twitched, something akin to worry danced in those coal black eyes.

Even monsters feared pain, she supposed.

Intimidation.

Y-yeah. That could work.

She could intimidate him into subdue. No hassle, no nothing. And she could make him tell her where Blake was and where he placed the antidote that could heal her - if he even had it.

No one needed to do anything drastic…

She just needed to play her cards right…

"Hands where I can see them." She hesitated when he complied wordlessly, racking her brain, trying to remember what all those cops always said when arresting criminals in those cop movies she'd always watched. Why didn't they teach this shit at Beacon? Or even Signal, for that matter?!

… The more she thought about it, the more she realized that they probably did teach her the basics of arresting criminals…

She just… didn't pay attention…

 _Dammit._

She was about to consider improvising on the spot when he, out of the blue, spoke.

"She might be my favorite subject yet…"

All rational thoughts ceased.

"What?" she asked against her better judgment.

He stared at her for a moment too long. Somehow that made her even angrier. "All of those other subjects… They're all so…" He clicked his tongue. "Weak-willed. So disappointing. But… she…" He broke into a fit of cackles. "She fought bravely, actually thinking she could do it, that she could disobey me. It was so, so amusing to watch."

Shut up.

"She kept fighting," he continued, unperturbed by her rapidly reddening eyes. "Even when both my semblance and the dose have taken their full effect on her, she still fought..." He hummed as though he was a philosopher thinking of life's meaning. "I wonder if it has to do with her being a huntress…"

Shut. _Up._

"You know, I think she kept saying your name, over and over." He had the audacity to step forward and toward her, posture slouched as if he were in no immediate danger. He then shrugged, saying, "Assuming you're Yan... or is it Yin…? Yanny, perhaps?" He gave another, lazier shrug. "It doesn't matter anyway. The girl you once knew is gone."

"SHUT UP!"

All it took was one second.

And then he was down on the floor, one shaky hand pressing against his slowly-swelling cheek, blood trailing down his lip. For a moment, she was mesmerized, transfixed by the red oozing away and dripping down. It was satisfying to watch. Almost as satisfying as punching him.

The bastard was lucky she didn't use her gun.

He opened his mouth to speak.

She didn't give him that chance to speak, already pulling him up by his collar, gripping his hair forward just so she could look at him dead in the eyes.

"You. Don't know. _Anything_. So stop talking like you do!" She didn't recognize her own voice. That didn't stop her, though, and she pressed on in rage. "I'm too damn tired of all this bullshit! You're going to tell me wherever the hell you locked her up. And then you're going to give me the antidote that will heal her for good. And then I'm going to haul your sorry ass up back to Beacon or the fuzz or who-the-hell-cares-anymore where you'll be locked up for good! _Understand_?!"

He continued to look at her, his face blank, almost impassive, even.

She took a shuddering breath.

"Tell me where she is… _now_." She couldn't sound more threatening even if she tried.

He didn't speak. His mouth twitched forward.

"You son of a bitch."

She gave him a well-deserved punch to his other cheek, and he responded by letting out a strangled yelp.

This time, though, she didn't need to force him to look at her. He did so out of his own volition.

"You…" A small hiss of pain that did not concern her. "You really think she can be saved…?"

She wanted to tell him that _of course_ she thought Blake could be saved, but she stopped herself at the last moment, lips already parted.

He was trying to get her all riled up, that much was obvious. He kept talking to her all this time-

… Time.

… That was his goal, here.

He was _stalling._

A growl reached to her ears, sending shivers down her spine.

She released him without a second thought, turning towards that door, squinting her eyes to better see the threat that lay beneath the unknown.

A part of her whispered to her she already knew what - or rather, who - was on the other side.

She…

She just didn't want to believe it. She refused to believe it.

"You know what's great about pets?" a voice cackled, echoing throughout the underground, its mirth palpable. "It's that they're really overprotective. You do so much as pinch their owner, and they're going to consider you a threat that must be exterminated."

She couldn't even hear his voice. Couldn't hear anything other than her own heart, wailing and burning and tearing itself apart.

No.

No.

 _No._

 _Please. Please, don't. Don't let this be a reality. Please, this- this must be a dream. It has to be. Please. Let me wake up. Let me wake up from this nightmare. I- I hate this. I hate this so much. I want to wake up. Please._

But reality simply wasn't kind.

And Yang was met with gold eyes that were so familiar and so foreign, holding so much strength and determination, yet so lifeless.

"Blake… _no_."

Black the Beast descended from shadows.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Eyyyyyyyy.**

 **That ending thooooooooooooo.**

 **Oh, and also, oh boy, oh no, whatever shall Yang do now?**

 **Also-also, I know that I don't respond to comments as much as I used to, and I'm sorry for that, but just know that I appreciate each and every one of your lovely comments! Yeah, I read them, and yeah, they help :)**

 **Have an awesome day!**


	15. Let the Battle Commence

Author's Notes:

Yeah, so you know how it feels when your life has been going smoothly. Like, too smoothly, and you get kinda suspicious because your life has never been this peaceful, so you just kind of wait for a while but then you think that, "Hey, maybe I'm just paranoid..."

But then BAM!

ANOTHER PROBLEM OCCURS!

AND A BIG ONE AT THAT!

And you can't help but be like, "I _fuckin'_ knew it..."

'Cuz that's what just happened to me.

* * *

Co-Writer:

FeugoFox42. Senseless is the most fun slow-burn story I've ever read! You should read it too, guys!

* * *

 **CHAPTER XV**

 **Let the Battle Commence**

* * *

It was almost stimulating, watching the fury in the kid's eyes turn into horror before settling in on realization.

Oh, and the way she'd called out her friend's name…

My, my…

Such devastation. Such desperation…

It was fascinating to watch, really.

The blonde dropped her lousy fighting stance, her jaw hanging open and her bravado fading away.

He slowly untangled himself from her mighty claws and took a cautious step back, his mirth growing when she didn't even bat him an eye. She must truly be distraught. He would've smiled if it didn't hurt his bruised cheeks.

He then focused his attention on the other thing that had made his day.

His pet. His experiment. His subject.

He didn't give it a name. He refused to call it by its former name - back when it was merely a child playing hero - for it could confuse his pet's precious mind, and he didn't want to do that. He refused to do anything that could take it away from him.

Watching it made itself known to the world made him smile even if it hurt.

Truly, it was his best version yet.

Unlike his other subjects, its size grew, becoming something much larger than any of his previous subjects. He predicted it had something to do with it being a formerly trained huntress, which would also explain why the creature looked so focused, so intelligent - as if it was ready to kill for him on a whim. He would've been terrified of it if he wasn't absolutely sure there was no way for his beast to deny his every command.

He wanted to test out that theory.

But first, he wanted to marvel at the beast he'd created with the godly thing that was science.

Despite it being the size of a juvenile Ursa, perhaps slightly smaller, the creature's body wasn't chunky and fat, rather, it was rather muscular, its arms and legs smaller than he would've guessed despite its wild mane of furs.

The best way to describe it was a more monstrous panther.

"Blake… Blake, don't do this…"

It - no, _she_ \- didn't seem to register her words, only lowering herself to the ground more and more, her tail disturbingly still and lowered down, it's front limbs now touching the ground.

Yang's heart skipped a beat, realizing what she was about to do.

She growled a short sharp growl, golden eyes thirsting pain.

Blake pounced.

Yang gasped at the speed and ferocity of the large creature, barely managing to dodge her swiping strike by jumping to her right, yelping in pain when her back collided with one of the shelves, covering her face when the content of one of the items on the shelf clattered down and showered her, disorienting her.

When she cleared her eyes from the obstruction, large claws were already swinging toward her and she barely caught it with both of her hands, grunting at the sheer strength that her partner suddenly possessed.

Under normal circumstances, there was no contesting who in Team RWBY was strongest. These weren't normal circumstances.

Yang was pushed back roughly, gasping when the air was forced out of her lungs. She didn't have time to spend catching her breath again as Blake raised her other hand - or paw, at this case - and launched it toward her.

She was able to keep it from hitting her flesh, using her gauntlet to block the heavy strike. The shrieking sound of her weapon's surface being shredded like paper was like a slap to her face.

This…

Blake was strong.

Blake was _really_ strong.

The noirette raised her claws again, but Yang was far more prepared this time and reacted quicker. She jumped and landed a dropkick to Blake's gut with enough force to send her a few feet away, knocking herself back to the floor as well. Grunting as she sprung up back to her feet, Yang took a defensive stance so as to be ready for another attack from her partner.

"Blake!" she yelled, flabbergasted at how easily her partner had made the decision to hurt her like that.

"Do you really think that _my creation_ is still the girl you knew?" She twisted her face to look at him, feeling room's temperature spiking, courtesy of her semblance. He actually laughed. Straight at her face. "You _simpleton_."

How dare he!

She snapped, letting out a war cry as she lunged toward him…

Only for a tail to whip her by the stomach, knocking her in the opposite direction. She, on one knee, looked down, not at all surprised to see part of her jacket's fabric gone, but surprised to see a thin line painting her skin red.

Not even her aura had been able to protect her. It spoke volumes of how dangerous Blake had become.

"Have you forgotten that I made it for the sole purpose of killing the likes of you so-called heroes of Remnant?" he asked as if reading her mind.

She hissed, less from the pain and more from her recklessness. She shouldn't be easily distracted by his taunts, no matter how much they pissed her off. As much as it pained her to believe, Blake currently posed a much greater threat than the mad scientist.

She looked up, a wave of rage washing over her as the monster rested its head on her partner, scratching the base of her feline ears like she was his damn pet.

What's worse was how content Blake was with him treating her like that.

He really _did_ mess with her head.

Shit.

"I wanted to make a weapon where just one could destroy even the most elite of huntsmen and huntresses…" He chuckled, scratching his chin. "Well, you're not an elite force, but I suppose you'll do - especially since you seem to know who it formerly was…"

 _Oh, I know her, alright._

She stood, broadening her shoulders, powering through the sharp stinging pain flaring from the lower part of her body. The wound was… deeper than she thought. But it shouldn't be a concern, her aura would heal it… eventually. Hopefully soon.

"She's not gone yet," she said, looking not at the monster, but at her partner, not knowing if she herself believed those words. She smiled. "Don't worry, Blake. I'll get you back."

Golden eyes widened for a split second.

Hope sparked within her, small as it may be.

"Oh, will she now?"

He snapped his fingers. And suddenly all the life from those eyes were drained out.

Yang met his eyes for the second time that night.

And those eyes spoke of calculated confidence. One so great it made her own falter.

"Attack, pet."

Yang reacted the same time Blake did, using a shot from her gauntlet to propel herself away from the incoming attack. She had no time to breathe - Blake was already shooting her claws out at her - and shot another blast down at the floor to push herself back again.

The third time Blake tried to attack, she had enough time to jump to her right, opting to save her ammo. It proved to be an unwise decision as her movement caused another bout pain to shoot through her wound. Both of her hands instinctively went to press down onto the bleeding area to ease the pain.

That was another unwise decision.

She didn't even get to think about looking up before Blake smacked her such a powerful strike that it sent her flying into the unknown room where Blake first appeared from, her back colliding against the concrete wall, her cry of pain echoing loudly in the large room, her aura flashing as it took a substantial hit.

The light slowly vanished as he closed the metal door shut, but not before letting Blake in - the noirette striding in with grace and collectiveness despite the bloodlust in those eyes - leaving the pair of partner alone.

Everything was pitch black.

For the first time in forever, Yang was cold.

She felt her semblance calling out to her, telling her to hit back… and she didn't. This was Blake. She didn't want to hurt Blake.

She heard another, quieter growl coming from somewhere in front of her. She gulped, extending her shaking palm to that direction.

"Blake… Blake, I know you-" She didn't get to finish her sentence. Her body moved on instincts alone, hearing the movement of a four-legged creature running toward her at a frightening pace.

That was when she activated her semblance.

Her strength enhanced, she raised her fists. Not a second later, those very same fists clashed against claws sharper than any swords.

It was odd, having to use her semblance as a defense. She knew it wouldn't work every time her partner attacked, but that was why she was pushing herself to the limit by not letting herself fall back against the mighty creature before her.

She could've used her semblance normally and simply punch Blake away and be done with it. She was sure that, with all the damage she'd received all day today, she was sure not even Blake would endure her powers without passing out.

But…

The image of a motionless, bleeding Blake came to her for the hundredth time, reminding her of what she was here for, what she should - she _would_ \- prevent.

She wouldn't hurt Blake. Ever.

Even if that meant she herself would be the one to get hurt.

"Blake-" a grunt, "Blake, I know you're able to hear me." The beast let out another growl. It seemed mad. She pressed on harder. "I know you're there, and I know you can stop this, and don't try to tell yourself otherwise, because _it's true_."

She tried to look into those familiar yet foreign yellow eyes, desperate in finding something - anything - that indicated a sense of recollection.

But all that did to her was cause her to lose focus.

And the beast used that split second to surge more strength within itself before it pushed.

The unsuspecting blonde was pushed back. She had to bring one hand down to the floor to stabilize herself.

She couldn't block the next attack.

… It hurt. It hurt like hell.

But it didn't hurt as much as it should.

Which meant… either Blake didn't muster enough strength for her attack - which was very unlikely… or…

She was holding back.

And that was the only thing empowering her to dodge the next attack entirely, jumping into who-knows-what direction - so long as it was away.

"BLAKE! Please!"

It howled. The howl pierced the silence of the dark room. It vibrated her whole body with how loud and powerful it was.

And it hurt her to hear. The howl sounded so… broken. So terrified.

"Blake…"

This was still her partner.

And she…

She would never want to hurt her partner.

Yang lowered her arms.

She resisted the urge to raise them up again - shutting her eyes and gritting her teeth to brace herself for the pain.

Blake didn't swipe at her.

She merely tackled her to the ground.

Yang soon found herself looking up into those orbs of yellow again.

She gulped, unable to think very clearly. She could only see and hope dearly and desperately that her partner was still in there, somewhere.

"I know… I know you never wanted this, any of this. And I know… I know I shouldn't have shut you off like that." Yang couldn't hear her words due to her drumming heart and the blood rushing in her ears. She assumed her voice was wavering and cracking and… didn't sound confident. "I should've… I made a lot of mistakes. We both did. And that's okay. That doesn't mean I'm just going to hate you for it…"

She raised one hand, freezing when her partner's eyes narrowed, her claws embedding into her skin, drawing blood.

"I won't hurt you," she murmured before raising her other hand, bringing them close together.

With an audible click, one shotgun-gauntlet fell.

With another click, the other one fell as well.

"I won't hurt you," she repeated with more confidence, smiling when Blake released a short, almost-startled hum.

She might not be able to physically see her weapon being released…

But Blake, even before this transformation, had impeccable night vision.

She saw.

She understood.

And Yang continued. "I know… I know that you're scared. And I know you don't want to hurt me… You told me yourself, you showed me, Blake. I love you…" Feline ears flicked once. Twice. "And you showed me that you love me too… even before that kiss… you've shown me time and time again, and I was just… too dumb to see it."

Yang was being stupid.

She knew she was being stupid.

She slowly raised her arm up, extending it to her partner, hopeful, against her better judgment.

And Blake opened her mouth, revealing her sharp fangs, and leaned down.

 **…**

Someone or something from the other side pounced at the door.

The fox raised his eyebrow, wondering if his experiment did its job or if it failed against a weakened teenage huntress.

His hand subconsciously gripped his bag, more than a little nervous if something were to happen to his research and hard work.

The door pounced again and, warily, he opened it, crowbar on one hand.

He lowered that crowbar upon seeing nothing but diligent yellow eyes.

He grinned and let go of the door, stepping back to let his precious pet wander around in his new, not-so-amazing lair.

"You're done already... Good."

That blonde girl, whoever she was, clearly cared about who this monster used to be… and if he guessed correctly, this 'Blake' girl cared about her too. Which meant that his pet being able to kill someone like her proved that it really was loyal to him and him only.

Oh, no words could describe how thrilled he was.

A tail nudged his shoulder.

"What is it?" He turned and found the beast's head whipping back and forth from him and to the door, growling.

He blinked. "You want food? Is that it?" He cocked his head to the side. "Can't you just eat your friend's corpse?"

Truthfully, he didn't know how to care for his subjects - not when it came to foods or drinks or all of those other… _stuff._ He'd always tasked his former employees to do those things… but now that they were behind bars because they were too much of a _coward_ to continue on his magnificent plans…

Ugh…

Did his subjects even eat human meat? Should he perhaps gather rats and roaches as its meal? Wait- it was a feline- feline couldn't eat insects.

The beast's tail nudged him again. "What?" he asked, exasperated. He had half a mind to snap his fingers and command it to stop bothering him, but he feared it had something to show him…

His assumption was proven correct when it began to walk back into the room.

He raised his eyebrow. What could possibly be in that dark room that would interest a scientist like him?

He took one step forward…

And was immediately punched by the shell assisted shotgun gauntlet.

Straight to the face.

"And… there goes my ammo."

It was telling how Yang felt about the man - if she could even stomach referring to someone who would do something so vile as such - that she was more worried about her ammo reserves reaching absolute zero over the fact that the fox was lying in a broken unconscious heap in the near corner of the room.

She was certain what little aura he hopefully had was not raised up at all to deal with the blow from her, so there'd be plenty of fractures and breaks from that punch. Yang was even worried that she'd hurt herself with that punch too.

In short, he was unconscious and likely wouldn't wake up for a long while.

Quickly, Blake walked to her again, a glint in her eyes, freezing Yang in her movements. Just like before in that dark room, she blinked and opened her mouth, leaning to her…

And licked Yang in the cheek.

It prompted her to giggle.

"Jeez, you really scared me back there. Especially with those teeth."

The blonde looked down at his face, where a bruise was starting to form. The man looked miserable, she almost pitied him. It was hard to imagine that he, of all people, would be the one to cause her and many others all the trouble. Hard to believe he was the big bad boss, the criminal mastermind of this dark operation.

"That felt… anticlimactic."

Though there was something missing…

She was… unsatisfied.

Yang bent down… and gave him another punch - one that resulted in his nose popping with a resounding crack.

There. _Now_ she was satisfied.

"Okay…" She turned to Blake, smiling genuinely for the first time in what felt like decades. "We did it." It was hardly the victory she'd imagined. It was hardly a victory at all. She was in so much pain, Blake was still, well… 'cattier' than usual, and they were still underground and have no way of contacting the outside world.

But damn did she feel good nonetheless.

Blake responded by licking her in the cheek again, forcing her slightly-unbalanced self to take a step back.

It seemed like she wasn't the only one that felt good about this.

She looked at Blake, expecting her to slowly transform back to normal.

A beat passed.

And another.

And those beats turned into minutes.

And Blake still didn't turn back to normal. She didn't shrink, her fangs and tail refused to disappear, and she was still… a big cat.

Yang frowned, a seed of uneasiness planting itself in her.

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

The noirette tilted her head to the side. Her tail swished once.

"C'mon! Turn back to your cute normal self! I miss your Bellabooty!" She tried to instill a joke, but when the girl in front of her showed no sign of comprehension, she tried, "Blake? Do it already."

No response.

"Can you even understand me?"

This time, she blinked and tilted her head up and down.

"This isn't cute anymore. Cut it out alrea-" Her sentence was cut off with a gasp. She doubled over as stinging pain festered from her stomach.

Right.

She'd forgotten about the deadly wound - followed by the many other less deadly wounds. Somehow.

Blake quickly jumped to her, letting out a sound not unlike a mewl, circling around her, nudging her with her head again a couple of times, showing her worry.

She looked down. Blood trickled from her stomach. It trickled slowly, but it trickled nonetheless.

And that was just one damage.

"Shit…"

Even with the adrenaline still coursing through her, she was in a lot of pain. She dreaded what she would feel once there was no longer any adrenaline.

Her eyes shut themselves off from the pain and she told herself to focus only on her breathing, feeling the small weight of her scarf being lifted away from her.

In and out.

In and out.

In and out.

The pain lessened, if only for a little. She mustered enough strength to at least act as if she wasn't in _that_ much pain. She opened her eyes only to find Blake holding a hand - err, _paw_ \- out to her stomach. The sight was almost comical. Looking down, she realized the noirette was trying to stop the bleeding using her scarf.

"Thanks." It was good to know that, even in the kind of state Blake was in, she was still her worrisome-self.

Yang gently pried away her partner from her, tying the scarf around the wound, noting that her partner still had her intelligence - or at least some of it. For safe measures, she took off her jacket and pressed it on the wound, wincing and cracking a smile when Blake nudged her by the waist in worry.

"I'm fine, Blake."

Even as a panther-like beast, Blake still managed to wear a face that said "Really?"

"We need to-" a short intake of breath, caused by her taking a step. "We need to get you back to normal."

A slow growl was her response as Blake walked to her side, looking at her. She understood what her partner was trying to communicate: "Is there even a chance for me to get back to normal?"

"You said it yourself, didn't you? He was the only one who can help you."

Blake shook her head, fear and resignation filling her eyes.

It made her angry to see that. "No, Blake. Don't you _dare_ think about it. We will get you back to normal."

They locked their gaze with equal intensity.

Eventually, Yang's eyes softened. "Even… even if you're stuck like this forever… I still won't let you go."

Amber eyes blinked in surprise.

Yang smiled at how shocked she looked.

"Yeah, it's true." She took a step to her partner even if it caused a wave of pain to wash over her, smiling. "I… I love you, Blake." She held out her two hands and envelop the large cat in a hug, chuckling when her partner nuzzled into her without a second thought. "We'll make it work, somehow. I don't know how, but I'm sure we will. I'll stay by your side. I won't have you replaced. It's… it's going to be okay."

Truly, she didn't know if it would be okay. But, so long as they were together… it felt like she could take on anything. And, in the end, wasn't that all that mattered?

Wordlessly, she took the fox's bag, not forgetting to give him another punch in the face - and an extra kick to the guts, for safe measures… What? He was a bastard! He deserved to get roughed up!

Yang inspected the bag, noting its weight.

She noticed how possessively the fox clutched onto this bag. How he held it like a lifeline. This had to be it, the cure. It was written in gibberish, science-ish papers, but she knew it must be it. She just… she just had to get this to Beacon - or even a simple hospital would do - and they'd figure it out.

 _But what if they won't?_

She tried to push those thoughts aside, but they wouldn't budge. In fact, they increased their intensity.

She stood her ground and wiped those thoughts away.

 _I won't leave Blake, no matter what._

And that was that.

She took one step forward to the exit - meaning the hole that used to be a wall - and winced, the hand holding her jacket pressing harder instinctively.

She heard a growl from beside her and forced a smile. "I'm fine… This is nothing…"

But they both knew it was a lie. And a horrible one, at that.

Blake pressed her head to her, nuzzling deeply. The action relaxed her, causing her to exhale a long breath.

The adrenaline was dwindling down.

The battle was over - if one were to call it that.

And she…

She was tired.

Her limbs were heavy, her eyelids even more so. There was a faint ringing in her ears. All the scraps and bruises and cuts pounded on different rhythms, disorienting her.

Ugh…

Why was everything so loud and quiet at the same time?

She didn't even realize she'd fallen to her knees until she found Blake looking down at her.

"Don't worry," she said, knowing her voice was slurred and unable to do anything about it. "I just… I just need a minute or two."

The world faded in and out. It blurred and cleared. It dizzied her to look at… she… she had to close her eyes. It would only take a minute.

The way out…

How were they supposed to get out with her being this badly hurt…? How were they supposed to get out at all? And, once they were out… How was she going to convince everyone that the 'monster' was her partner? How was she going to convince them not to hurt Blake?

There were… so, so many things her hazy mind was worried about.

Thinking about it all sent an unpleasant jolt to her chest.

Had it only been a minute? Or had it been several…?

She willed herself to open her eyes. It took a lot out of her.

She tried to move her limb, any limb. Tried to get up. Tried to get the hell out of here.

All she managed to do was twitch a single finger.

She let out a breath.

Everything… hurt.

"Blake…"

She needed Blake right now.

She needed that familiar comfort, one that always served to calm her down in any state.

Suddenly, she was being hoisted up…

And she heard and felt a purr coming from behind her, from something she was resting on top of.

… Blake. She was resting on Blake's back. Huh. Knowing that she could do nothing else, Yang nuzzled deeply onto those furs. Who knew they could be so silky and fluffy like puffs of clouds…

She was cold.

And Blake was warm.

There was another rumble coming from the noirette. "It's okay," it seemed to say. "You've done all you can. Rest now."

And she did just that.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **I hope this chapter satisfies you all. I've got to say, it's been a hell lot of fun writing this story. It's kinda cheesy and overdramatic at times, but hey, it is fanfiction we're talking about here!**

 **I thank you all for sticking with me from the beginning to the end. I know I may not be the best writer, but I sure as hell intend to be the most fun one there is! :)**

 **After this, we'll have one more chapter to wrap things up.**

 **So...**

 **Yeah!**


	16. Time to Rest

**Co-Founder, Co-Writer, and Awesome Friend:**

 _ **FeugoFox42.**_

 **You already know it's a sin not to check out his work, at this point.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER XVI**

 **Time to Rest**

* * *

She woke up to the sound of metal clanking and the feeling of engine buzzing and roaring.

She was lying on something… too soft to be metal or wood… must be a bed or something… something…

 _Ugh…_

 _This is the worst hangover ever…_

 _I don't even remember going to the party…_

 _Or taking shots…_

 _Wait a second…_

 _WHY WOULD I GO TO A PARTY ON A SCHOOL NIGHT?!_

And then the memories returned.

And she shot up from her bed with a quick gasp.

What followed were a whole bunch of mess and gibberish.

There was a really sharp pain on her gut, followed by dozens of slightly-less intense pains from all over her body. There were people shouting, and hands that tried to force her to lay back down. She coughed and hacked and jolted and did other unpleasant things that only added to the pain and dizziness.

"...eathe, just- just breathe…"

Yup.

That sounded like a good idea.

Yang tried to relax her muscles, tried to tell her body that she wasn't in any danger - even though she wasn't that certain _yet_ \- and that it was no use to panic.

It took a while - like, a really long while - but eventually, she came to. The ringing subsided, so did the pain.

She… was on a flying airship. And she was wrapped in bandages. And… err… she was in pain…

The muted voices unmuted, and she was able to recognize all two of them. She chose to address only one of the voice's owner, seeing as how the other belonged to her teacher who was probably not happy with her breaking curfew.

"R-Ruby…"

"Oh, Yang!" the voice cried. "Thank goodness you're okay! I- I mean, _are_ you okay?! Do you feel normal?! Does anything hurt?! Do you remember who you are?! How many fingers am I holding up?!"

"Miss Rose, please give your poor sister space," came the stern voice of Goodwitch.

She shook her head, wincing when the action caused everything to spin. "N-no, it's… it's okay…"

She heard a whimper and a sob and reached out to her little sister, wanting to comfort her. Though that action soon became pointless as her little sister wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled her close. It took all of her willpower not to cry out in pain for fear of making her little sister feel guilty. "Y-yang! I didn't know what to do so I- I called Goodwitch and she didn't believe me at first but then I told her about Blake being missing-"

Her eyes shot wide.

"W-wait, Blake. Where is she?" Her heart skipped a beat when she remembered what kind of state her partner was in the last time she saw her. "You didn't- you didn't do anything to her, didn't you? I- she- she's okay, right? She has to be-"

"Miss Xiao Long. Calm down." She didn't. She couldn't. Not until she knew for sure her partner was okay. She heard her teacher sigh. "We… we weren't sure it was her, at first, when we found you down on the sewers. The only reason we didn't open fire was that she was carrying you. She didn't show any signs of aggression. Then…"

Another disappointed sigh came from the teacher's lips at the same time her little sister chuckled sheepishly.

"I… ignored Miss Goodwitch's orders to stand back and ran to you- even when both she and Weiss were yelling at me not to come to you. I was so worried that you... that you were…" She cleared her throat, unable to finish that sentence. Yang didn't blame her. She knew all too well how it felt to see the one you loved unconscious and bleeding. "Blake… recognized me. She purred and nuzzled into me. Did the same to Weiss too. It... didn't take me long to put the pieces together."

Goodwitch sighed again. She sounded worn out, tired… and also very, very aggravated.

"I couldn't believe it. Even after Miss Rose and even Miss Schnee insisted, there was no way…" She shook her head. "Not until you told me yourself."

"I… did?"

Her teacher and sister gave each other a look.

It was Ruby who spoke. "You… didn't remember?"

She blinked, swallowing. "It's all… fuzzy…" She remembered giving that douche of a fox a good knuckle sandwich. Then, she… grabbed the bag… it was… it was safe… she had it… and, and then… she remembered… feeling safe…

And that was it.

She blinked again when Ruby chuckled. "Yeah, that's not surprising. You were pretty out of it back then too. You shouted not to hurt your partner and that the dude was back in that secret lair and this cure you have and … other things…"

Ruby had this look on her face. It wasn't a look she liked at all. "What 'other things'?"

"That you are utterly in love with Blake Belladonna."

She… didn't know what was worse; the fact that she'd even shouted that in front of her little sister and the ice queen and her goddamn teacher, or the fact that said teacher was the one _telling_ her this blackmail-worthy information right here and right now.

"... Ouch. My pride hurts."

Glynda, ever the compassionate woman, said with not an ounce of emotion, "You'll live." Her face softened almost immediately. "I… still don't fully believe it, even until now… How Miss Belladonna was able to hide everything is beyond me." _Same_ , thought Yang.

It was then that Yang noticed she hadn't seen her catty partner anywhere in the airship.

"Where… where is she? Where's Blake?"

"On another airship." Glynda saw her shocked face, then elaborated. "Despite her having shown no signs of hostility, she is still a dangerous beast and you are harmed. We need to separate you."

"Don't worry, though," Ruby added. "Weiss is with her."

"Even though it's dangerous," muttered Glynda under her breath.

Yang's tired mind was racing. She wanted to ask so many questions. The first and most important was, "Will you be able to save her? Get her back to normal?"

Glynda smiled tiredly. "All thanks to you." Her face gained a more professional look. "We took pictures of the research papers inside the bag and sent those pictures to Beacon. Currently, all of our best staff are working on a cure." There was a glint of pride in her tone when she said, "You didn't simply save your partner, Yang. You saved many victims. And for that, you have my gratitude."

A really horrible weight was lifted from her shoulders. Not so graciously, she fell down to the mattress, closing her eyes in relief. "Wow, that's… that's great… that's super great…"

"As for the man who caused all of this… I've yet put him on trials, but I can assure you that the world won't see him for a very long time."

Oh.

She hadn't even thought about him.

"That's… that's nice."

She…

She wasn't sure what she felt of it all, of everything.

"It's over, Yang," said Ruby. "Everything is over."

Maybe…

Maybe all of this crazy, messed-up shit really was over…

But…

Not everything was over…

Because she and Blake still had things to discuss.

…

When she woke up again, everything was quiet.

Hell, she didn't even realize she'd fallen asleep.

She was… no longer in an airship.

And… was she… alone?

"Yang!"

Apparently not.

Before Yang could open her mouth or form a coherent thought, she found herself being enveloped in a bone-crushing hug. It hurt to move and her limbs felt weirdly awkward, but she managed to hug the other person back. How could she not? Blake-hugs was the rarest, most special kind of hugs and she would be a fool to let this golden opportunity go to waste.

As she hugged her partner, she looked around, not surprised to see that she was in a hospital room. She also found that her stomach was heavily bandaged and that her hand was connected to an IV drip.

She didn't feel as horrible as she did back on the airship… or as horrible as before…

In fact, she couldn't feel any of the pain. It all felt… distant. She didn't understand why, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

She was, however, surprised to find a chair right next to her, presumably where Blake was sitting before she woke up. On the small desk near that chair was a cup filled with something brown. Knowing Blake, it was most likely her favorite tea; Earl Grey.

Heh. It was typical of Blake to be drinking her tea even after all of this mess. Seeing no steam coming out of the cup, Yang concluded that the tea - along with the drinker of it - had been in this room for a while.

It was then that Yang noticed a couple of things; there was no sound of people from outside the room and there was no familiar light of the sun. It was late. Too late for anyone to be awake.

Yang had half a mind to scold Blake for not getting the rest she needed, but upon seeing her partner's face for the first time as she pulled away from the hug, those thoughts ceased away and the blonde smiled.

"Blake… You're okay."

Her partner grinned a fangless grin, her yellow eyes shining with tears of joy. "Yeah. I'm okay."

It didn't surprise Blake that the first thing her partner would do upon waking up was to comment on her wellbeing.

The noirette only managed to stare at her lively lilac eyes for a couple of heartbeats before she broke that eye-contact by enveloping the blonde in another hug, chuckling when Yang tenderly - if not awkwardly - patted her shoulder.

"Jeez," murmured Yang, "I was so worried."

 _And you think I wasn't?_ she thought, sinking deeper into the embrace, reveling in the fact that Yang was _okay_ , Yang was _here._

She didn't know how long they stayed that way, simply basking in each other's presence, taking their sweet time to fully embrace each other. It could've lasted for seconds. It could've lasted for hours. For all she cared, they could've stayed that way until the sun rose.

Blake reluctantly pulled away and looked at the exit, frowning. Though her hand never left Yang's own hand. "I should tell the doctor you're awake."

Yang's grip hardened - if only a little. "Or… we could talk."

Blake turned her head to see her partner slyly grinning.

Her eyebrows flattened.

"Yang."

"What?" the blonde laughed her charming laugh. "It'll only be a couple of minutes…"

Blake's eyes darted back and forth between the exit door and her partner, who was currently waggling her eyebrows up and down.

Truthfully, she'd known from the beginning she would choose Yang, but she purposefully put on a show of rolling her eyes and sighing deeply, looking unamused as she said, "Fine."

She knew she'd made the right choice - even if that choice was the irresponsible one - when Yang brightened, looking truly happy to know that her partner wouldn't leave her to some meddling doctor.

Yang's features softened, taking in a more sincere look very few people had the pleasure of seeing.

Blake put her other hand on top of Yang's hand, squeezing lightly, her small smile never leaving her face.

Yang's smile widened ever-so-slightly. Her voice was soft and calm as she asked, "How are you, Blake? Really?"

"I'm okay." And for seemingly the first time, her words actually rang true.

Yang kept looking into her eyes, searching for something. When she found that something, a satisfied smile enveloped her lips. "I'm glad. Though… I will miss kitty-Blake."

The noirette scowled. "I was _not_ a cat."

Yang didn't seem convinced, tilting her head a little and wincing purposefully. "Well… you did purr."

"I've _always_ been able to-" She stopped herself upon realizing what kind of sentence she'd almost finished. Almost too quickly, her fire died down and she looked pointedly away, cursing the red coloring her cheeks. "Nevermind."

But Yang was no idiot. And the evil-sounding chuckle only confirmed that the blonde indeed caught on. "Totally gonna keep _that_ in mind."

The red only increased in intensity. Blake smacked her face with her hand, groaning, "Please don't."

It only prompted Yang to laugh out loud.

And that laugh prompted her to let out a small chuckle.

But the small smile on her lips faded not long after, and with it, so did the joyous atmosphere.

"Yang… I'm sorry."

"Blake-"

"No." She shook her head, squeezing Yang's hand again, looking deeply into her eyes to show just how much she meant every word. "You need to hear this. I… I did things I shouldn't have done. _Many things_ , in fact. I did those things despite knowing they'd hurt you. And that's… terrible of me. That's _really_ terrible of me. I owe you an apology."

Yang looked down on their intertwined fingers, mind racing a million thoughts.

The clock kept ticking and ticking, telling her the exact moment when a second had passed.

The wind outside sounded gentle, she'd imagined that if she were to go outside, she'd be greeted with the kind of wind that would make her feel relaxed. It was almost impossible to imagine that the wind was once harsh and unforgiving.

Blake's hands were cold compared to hers - though not unpleasantly so. She supposed it meant her aura was doing its job. It felt like a million years had passed since she last felt the ruthless chill in that pitch black room.

Yang was calm when she met those amber eyes again, and her thoughts were no longer a mess.

"Blake… We… we hurt each other. And… and that's okay. I know you didn't mean to hurt me. Just like I never meant to hurt you." That last part was spoken in a whisper. "We were only trying to protect each other. And I'm certain we'll continue to do so. There was pain, yes, but what kind of life would we lead if it was painless? We were both idiots, and…" She paused, looking down only for a moment before reinforcing eye-contact. "I guess what I'm trying to say is… it's okay to make mistakes, so long as you try to fix them in the end." A smile naturally crept upon her lips. "What matters is what you do _after_ you made that mistake - if you made that mistake at all. I'll stand by your side, just like I always did, and I'll keep you from making those mistakes. Because I love you, Blake."

A beat passed.

And another.

And Yang's eyes slowly widened, realizing what she'd just say.

Her entire face heated up so badly she first thought it was caused by her semblance.

She coughed as if it could erase the words from ever being said, not daring to look at her partner in the eyes.

She spoke, not being able to control her own voice as it rose an octave or two higher from its regular pitch, "But if you really think you should apologize… then… I forgive you."

Blake, who hadn't been able to utter a word up until this point, murmured a soft, inquisitive, "Really?"

"It's not like I can stay mad at your gorgeous self," she said, quickly smacking her face again for the lack of filter between her mouth and brain. Ugh. She was on a roll with embarrassing herself today. Deciding to bite the bullet, she said, "Which brings me to our next thing."

"'Thing'?"

She coughed again, her eyes darting swiftly between Blake's eyes and the window. "Yeah. This, umm… us kissing each other thing…"

Blake chuckled, putting a hand over her mouth. It was rather cute how shy the blonde was when it came to the romance department - almost out of character, even. "How very articulate of you, Xiao Long."

"Oh, shut up, I just woke up," the blonde grumbled, finally brave enough to look at her partner in the eyes. She then sighed and tried to sound as confident as possible as she said - well, more like mumbled, "I, umm… sort of maybe kind of… love you. But you already know that, I think." Blake looked relieved. That was the only thing keeping her going. "I have been for a really long time, and I didn't want to tell you because, well…" She shrugged almost helplessly. "We're partners, best friends…"

Blake stared off into the distance, thinking. She then turned to ask her partner, "What made you change your mind?"

The question startled Yang. But it didn't take her long to answer. "Everything. Everything that's happened." A frown marred her features. She quickly looked up and spoke, remembering what she failed to say the first time. "Look, Blake. I… I'm sorry too. I was being an idiot."

"Yang-"

"No, Blake. It's my turn to apologize. So…" She blinked when her mind drew a blank. She chuckled and rubbed her neck self-consciously. "I apologize."

It amused Blake; how easily her partner could change from being able to say such an inspiring speech in one moment yet be at a loss for words the next. "I forgive you, as well. And…" She refused the urge to look away as she said, "I love you, as well."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

A beat passed.

And then another.

"So… can I kiss you?"

And Yang was pulled into a kiss. A very sweet, short, but somehow satisfying kiss.

And once they pulled away, she realized that… this wasn't over. This wasn't the end. This was just the beginning. The beginning of something special.

 _This…_

 _This is just the beginning…_

"Does that answer your question?"

"Hell yeah."

 _The beginning of us._

The quietness didn't bother either of them. It was as if the world froze itself, just for the two of them, just so they could have a moment together.

Yang looked up at Blake. Those amber eyes were shining so brightly, so mysteriously. Her hair flew down majestically like a waterfall. Her skin was porcelain-pale and looked smooth… so smooth…

She didn't regret looking up.

 _She's your teammate._

Yang had always wanted to know what her lips tasted like, how it felt to run her fingers through the girl's dark tresses, to have their noses bumping each others'.

 _She's your partner._

To cuddle with her in bed. To be able to hear her heartbeat so closely. To be able to call Blake 'mine'.

 _She's your best friend._

 _Yeah…_

 _And she's so much more._

"I should've told you the truth."

Yang blinked. The past few days felt like weeks, months even, and she was honestly tired yet felt fresh and awake at the same time.

She smiled.

"There's something that matters more than the truth." And it took the entirety of this cluster-fuck for her to see it.

Blake didn't say anything, but her face showed the question without words.

Her smile widened.

"You."

* * *

 **THE END**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **I just want to say how thankful I am for each and every one of you that took the time to read this story. When I first started this, I wrote this story for me. I wrote something that I know I'll enjoy, and guess what? I did enjoy it! And a lot of people did too, apparently!**

 **My biggest shout out would have to go to _FeugoFox42_ , because c'mon, without him, this story would've been all over the place! He started out as a Beta Reader, but ended up helping me write it! How awesome is that?! If you found the last few chapters more entertaining than the first ones, that's because of him. And that's why you should check him out~~ He's been a total bro. Yeah, sure, he's kind of nerdy at times, but he pulls through! **

**The next shout out would have to go to _Sleygal_. The person who not only comments here, on this site, but does so too on m REON account. Dude, you are just the best. And I thank you so much for supporting me the way you did. Seriously. You make me want to keep writing more fan fictions. You make me want to keep on writing and never give up. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.**

 ** _ThePurpleZodiak_! Hey! What's up? Oh, wait, no, I do know what's up. You must be nailing all of your test and being a 4.0 GPA student. Probably. If they have those where you come from.**

 **Sooo, next up-**

 **And hey there, _Wolf eyes_! Yes, I'm looking at you, there, buddy! You've been supporting me since before The Truth and What Matters More, and honestly, whoaaaaa. Thank you so much! You know I've always wanted to contact you, but sadly you're a guest user so... here's me directly telling you that you're awesome.**

 **Also, _Jay aka Jordan_ \- great name, BTW - I see you too, friend! I don't know why, but reading your name makes me think of you as this middle-aged badass lumberjack, for some reason. Thank you, dude. Seriously.**

 **And how can I forget _LazyKatie_? Your comments have always been the funniest (not that I don't think the rest of you aren't funny). You are one cool gal, even if you're lazy! No, no, wait. You're cool because you're lazy. Sooo, keep on procrastinating, ya lazy butt! **

**And to _GrnDrgnzrd_ (jeez, I hope I typed that right), can I ask what your name means? I feel like the 'Drg' part means Dragon... I sure hope so, cuz that'll be totally wicked. Your comments have always been the most relatable. Your frustrations when reading these idiotic characters make stupid-ass decisions remind me too much of me when I wrote them. But hey, teenagers are stupid. It's always been the truth.**

 **I am grateful to all of you. The people who I've mentioned, and those who I haven't mentioned. To the people who commented, and the ones who don't. I thank those who offer constructive criticism, and those who simply hype me up. I just want to thank each and every one of you. Thank you. It's been a blast writing these fic with my friend, Foxy.**

 **However, this isn't quite the end yet. See, there's been a lot of scrapped ideas and characters that're supposed to make an appearance but didn't, and I wanted to share it with everyone. That's why next week, I'm going to post "BTS", which stands for "Behind The Story", talking about everything there's to talk about in this story, including the inspirations and whatnot. I'm going to post a sneak peek for my next big project too! And lemme tell you, my dudes, the next project is _something else_.**

 **Cheers~~~**


	17. BTS: Behind The Story

**Intro**

Hi there, and welcome to 'Behind the Story', this thing I made up where I talk about a whole bunch of aspects of the story so we both finally get the closure we need.

The reason why I made this is that, well, why not? It's a fun thing to do for me and I'm sure it'll be fun for you to read as well! Plus, as I said before, we'll finally get closure, and you as an audience get to see - well, read - how I formed this story and what inspired it and the changes made within this story and many more.

 **Warning:** This is my personal thoughts on the story. Don't take everything I say to heart and don't let this affect your enjoyment of the story too much. This is formatted as a blog-ish, rant-ish kind of writing, far different from how I write stories. In short, this is simply me putting all my cards on the table for you to see, to give you - and myself - insight of this story.

Before we get started, a word from my beta and partner-in-writing, _FeugoFox42_.

 **[FeugoFox42]**

 _Now I know how the CRWBY and VA's felt when the Volumes were premiering - I wanted to share exactly what was going to happen, or at the very least tell you "ooh, you're going to enjoy this part", but spoilers abound, and I feel like I'm better than that. Props to them for having to keep knowledge that they'd been holding on for far longer than I had to, some even keeping secrets since 2013!_

 _Anywho; I'm so glad Clementine gave me the opportunity to work on the story with her. Seeing how she works and builds everything up is really quite special. Thanks to her for letting me be part of the journey. I promise to pay the ransom as soon as you let me go home, cool?_

 **Small Response to Fox**

No.

You're my captive. Forever.

At least until I found a cooler fox, which is… unlikely.

Ahem. Anyway, moving on-

 **A Thank You**

-I want to begin this by saying thank you to everyone.

To you, the readers, for taking the time to read my story and review on it, thank you. I love to read your reviews, they're all such a blast to read and they remind me of why I continue to do this.

And also… A thank you to my beta, FeugoFox42. Hell, at this point, I shouldn't even call him a beta reader, because he practically helped me write the second half of the story! Without him, wow, the story would've sucked hard.

You guys should really check his stuff out, please. He really is passionate about writing and he does his best to improve in every way he can. He helped me out so much, it wouldn't be fair to call this "my story" anymore, it's "our story" now.

 **My Reasons**

So… Why did I decide to make this story?

I know none of you has probably never asked that… ever…

But _I_ sometimes find myself asking that question.

And that is because… well, I wanted to test myself, to see if I could handle writing such an intense story that doesn't include romance only. I wanted to go all out after F&GF ended, to really see how far I've come as an author.

When I first wrote this story, I, admittedly, didn't give it much thought. There's no solid reason why I wanted to write this kind of story specifically, just that, "Now that F&GF, I need to write _something_."

I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head, but they're all really, _really_ good ideas and I didn't want to risk writing them _then_ and ended up ruining such a good idea. I didn't think I was ready to write such stories. So… this is the alternative.

That said, it doesn't mean I think little of this story. In fact, I think this story is great. It exceeded my expectations on so many levels. The characters feel real, their motives feel real, Yang's little arc was pleasing to write, and many, many more.

 **Scrapped Scenes**

There are quite a few scenes that I had to delete from this story due to either it not making a lot of sense, or the events leading up to it being a little too confusing, or simply it not moving the plot forward in any way.

Let's talk about them!

 **Yang taking care of "Drunk" Blake**

 _Yang finds Blake unconscious on that alley and brings her to the hotel. Blake then wakes up but isn't 'all there'. Yang is forced to deal with her partner who tries to kiss her and keeps poking at her and all sorts of shenanigans._

It would've been fun for me to write and for you to read. It's just a shame that it doesn't make any sense and that it removes the tension from the story.

See, Blake needed to find the bad guy. If she's in the hotel room with Yang (and possibly Weiss), then they'd notice if she were to leave. Don't try to tell me otherwise. Not to mention, seeing that Blake is a big ol' panther, they'd be smart enough to lock the doors and windows and take even more precautions, not to mention call Glynda and tell her everything, maybe even request back-up to deal with Blake being 'unBlake-y'.

I'd be pushing your suspension of disbelief a little too far if I were to go through with it.

 **Yang and Monster Blake Vs OC Villain**

 _Blake would hurt Yang, again and again. Yang would then try to communicate with her, and Blake would regain some of her memories. Together, they defeat the villain in an "epic" battle._

The reason why I didn't write this - despite how badass it sounds - is because… well… it's pointless.

C'mon, we all know Bumblebee was going to win as soon as Blake is out of his mind-control thingie.

Plus, the villain is an OC. An OC that I intentionally made to be as bland and uninteresting as possible. All so none of you would care about him.

The fight would be too one-sided anyway. Monster-Blake could've seriously hurt Yang - and she kind of did, too. Defeating the crappy OC villain would be a walk in the park for her.

 **Small Ladybug Conversation**

It's exactly as it sounds like:

 _Ruby giving Blake a pep talk about relationships and all that._

The reason why I didn't include this in the story was that it didn't affect the overall story, not to mention I already have Weiss giving Yang a pep talk, doing it again would be repetitive.

When it comes to the romance side of the story, Yang takes a more active role since it fits her character more. That's why I have her be the main focus in the middle of the story because she'll be the one to confess to Blake.

Blake, meanwhile, takes a more active role on the whole "Rogue Fang" deal… no surprises there.

This scene would be nice… but it ultimately had to be scraped off or else it'll waste everyone's time.

 **Monster-Blake and WhiteRose**

 _Yang passes out and Blake carries her to the tunnels where she meets Ruby and Weiss. After being convinced that the monster is, indeed, Blake, Ruby and Weiss have an awkward time trying to interact and tame Monster-Blake. 'S all in good time._

This scene isn't exactly deleted from the story - per se - I just… didn't write it because it'll take away the audience's focus. Remember, this is a Bumblebee story. And it'll mess the flow of the story if we suddenly go from Yang semi-dying and Weiss and Ruby interacting with Monster-Blake.

It didn't really add anything to the story, but I did show bits of snippets through Blake and Yang's conversation at the last chapter.

 **Larger Resolution**

 _After the incident is over, Blake is finally being given a proper explanation as to what had happened to her and what will happen to the OC villain. As a cherry on top, Sun will appear one last time to sort of announce that he was never into Blake._

Again, this is utterly pointless and seems a little too lighthearted for my taste - and for the story's overall tone.

Sun bit's just cringy, now that I look back on it. Past Me was an idiot. I'm glad Now Me didn't include it in the story.

As for the explanation…

While it would've been great, I decided not to put it all in the story - only remnants of it. Why? Well, because this story was never about the whole "Rogue Fang" or "Experiments" thing, even if those parts played a huge deal.

At the very core, it's a love story. And thus, I shall end it as a love story.

Simple as that.

 **Mistakes I Spot**

Yes, like any other story, this story has mistakes. I don't want to be a coward and simply ignore these mistakes, I want to tackle them, figure out what makes them "mistakes" in the first place, and hopefully not make them again.

Though another fair little warning, some of these can actually be far from mistakes, and others can feel like little nitpicks that only I'm bothered with. This is just my personal view.

 **Ending**

Sometimes I reread the ending and I just feel like there could've been more to it than… that.

This is less of a mistake, and more of me knowing I could've done it differently but didn't.

Before you say anything, please note that I did try my best to salvage the ending, to do my best, like I always did with every fic. And I "subtly" hinted that there's more to be said than what Bumblebee have said to each other.

The reason why I ended the story the way I did is because… doing anything else would've dragged the story on a little too long. I mean, c'mon, you people are smart, you can basically guess what would've happened afterwards. Blake and Yang said more apologies - both to each other and to their friends and their poor professor.

I felt as though it was unnecessary.

The story's done as soon as Yang and Blake kissed each other. Everything else is just… subplot.

Technically, as I'm writing this, I could've rewrite the ending, add more dialogues, add more scenes, make things a little more satisfying, but… no. I don't want to keep dwelling on this one story when I have other projects I'm working on.

Plus, the ending was appropriate, in my opinion. The "feels" of it is similar to the way I opened this book, the way I first wrote Chapter 1. Or maybe that's just my opinion.

To put it simply, I end the story the way I did because it needs to end.

 **Pacing**

I've always felt like I'm no good at pacing my stories. Sometimes, writing a scene that takes place in a day can take 2 or more chapters… and sometimes, writing a scene that takes place for an entire month can take less than a thousand words.

I did my best to make sure that nothing feels too slow or too fast, but… sometimes I feel as though I failed in this aspect.

I don't think I've yet grasped the difference between good and bad pacing, I can't tell what differentiates them, so I do apologize if the pacing feels off, and if you will, I'd like your thoughts on what _makes_ good pacing and what doesn't.

It's like, I focus on the characters. I _like_ that I focus on the characters more than the plot - I know most of you do too. But maybe I overdid it a little, maybe I focused way too much on the characters that I miswrote or wrote too little of the plot.

As a result, the first half of the story feels slow. Like, not in a bad way, but it is slow. And the second… well, the second half feels wild, raw, untamed, like a beast (pun intended), like a whole other story entirely.

Now, now, I did foreshadow the events that would come from the very beginning, but…

I don't know, this doesn't feel like an actual mistake, maybe I'm just looking at things a little too deeply. What do you think? Should I improve the way I pace my story? Or is it good enough as it is?

 **Grammar**

Ah, yes. My old and greatest enemy; grammar.

Seeing as how my native language is one where tenses don't exist and that my school couldn't teach more than the basics, I… didn't know what exactly I was doing. I do know that I've made dozens of writing errors in my story. If it ticks you off… I'm sorry, but you can't really blame me.

Right now I'm struggling to try and understand grammar better. Between my school life and my family life and this, it's kind of hard to do it.

So, umm, you'll have to be patient with me, okay? I'll get better, I know that. But it might take me awhile before I can finally get there.

 **Too Little Info**

Another thing I can classify as a mistake is the information we have on the whole experiment and Rogue Fang thing, or, more specifically, the lack of information.

I've said from the beginning that the real focus wasn't on the Rogue Fang deal, but that doesn't excuse me for not giving the "thing" more thought, more insight. I don't mean I should switch the focus entirely on Rogue Fang, but I should've… you know… add a little more detail so it feels a little more significant, especially since Blake isn't the only victim of the experiment, and the other victims - innocent victims, I might add - feels like they've completely disappeared from the story during the second half, only to get mentioned once at the end of it.

I feel like I've done them injustice… Like I don't care about the other victims, like Yang and Blake never cared about the other victims, especially since they clearly _do_ care.

 **Healing too Quickly**

This is just a minor detail and is, in the end, pretty irrelevant to the story as a whole, but I feel as though Blake heals from her monster-state a little too quickly, storywise. It is hinted that Yang was asleep for 2-3 days, but even so, I could've had her say "I still have fangs sometimes" or, well, _something._

 **Earl Grey Tea**

This is something I wish you all would pick up on; Blake's favorite tea and the "symbolism" behind it.

See, when we first saw it, Blake and Yang were having an amazing time before the mission, flirting and blushing and whatnot. The second we saw it, Bumblebee were having the worst time of their life. The third time we saw it, it spilled red and one of them was missing. And finally, the last time we saw it, Yang and Blake have forgiven each other and have finally admitted their love to each other.

The tea sort of pinpoints each and every aspect of their relationship. From everything being okay, to everything not being okay, to them realizing everything's not okay, and finally, everything slowly becoming okay again.

It doesn't really influence the story or anything, but… I included it in the story and… I thought you should know.

 **Planning Out Everything**

Another thing I find truly interesting is how I originally planned out the story and how it ended up being. The first few chapters were as intended, as I wanted them to be, but then came the scene where Yang had to take semi-lucid Blake back into her hotel and I… thought about it - about how it didn't make sense story-wise and would only cut the tension.

What I ended up writing instead is, as you all know, far different and not as lighthearted.

From there on, I let the characters decide their fate for themselves. I know it sounds weird, but sometimes when I'm writing, I just… let the characters speak and do things themselves, without any real help from me.

The first half of the story is me building things up, planting seeds to see how it will flourish, and the second half… the second half is me watching those seeds flourish.

That's why I feel as though the last few chapters of the story has this "rough" and "raw" feeling. It's not necessarily a bad thing, in fact, I think some of you enjoyed it. I tried to once edit a chapter to see if the feeling would go away. It didn't.

Though I do certainly hope I didn't ruin the story or stretch things on thin ice with how I execute the story from that point on. I don't know why, I feel like I could've added more words and make it better, and the only reason why I didn't do that is that I _have_ tried to add more words and doing so again would not only be too much hard work but not add anything special to the story.

 **Inspiration**

I bet you're all wondering what inspired me to whip out a bizarre story like this. Is it a slasher film? A psychological thriller? Another anime, perhaps?

The answer to that is: No! Not even close!

Though it would've saved me face if that were the truth.

So, yeah, what inspired me to write this fanstory is… Another fanstory. Of a show called "Miraculous Ladybug". Titled "A Furry Situation".

Yeah, let me explain.

If you don't know, MLB is a show about a blonde who loves making puns who's partnered-up with a noirette who's serious when doing her job and they're in love with each other and they both don't know it.

So, yeah, it's basically Bumblebee, but heterosexual. Oh, and Yang's the cat instead of Blake.

I've always loved the concept of a person slowly turning into a beast, and wanted to incorporate that into my own writing. And when I read that comic, I just _knew_ I had to make a similar story as well, the possibilities are endless! It would be so much fun! Plus, I know most people also happened to like reading this very concept, so I thought it was a win-win!

I'd like to think I was - am - right.

You can tell the similarities between my story and the MLB one with how the main character suddenly wakes up with a tail, though the older story takes on a more lighthearted note. I actually did that as a nod to the fanstory as well as pick up the story's pacing.

Other inspirations that influenced me to write this story are PilamdaOd's "Cursed" and mikotyzini's "The Days of Winter". Both are great fictions which I'll recommend you all to read.

With "Cursed", I tried to incorporate how it uses a simple story-structure and develops it into something awesome. I'll tell you what I mean in a moment.

With "The Days of Winter", I take the kind of romance the author wrote and told a similar kind of romance - in my own version, of course, I'm not a plagiarizer.

It's the kind of romance where the characters are already in love with each other, and the story is about them getting the push they needed to confess their love and move forward.

It's quite interesting for me to write this kind of romance. It's the exact opposite of F&GF and I think that's why I had so much fun writing it.

I've already written a slow burn romance, why would I write it again so soon?

 **Title Troubles**

Another thing to note was how much I had trouble picking the right title for this story. I was a nervous wreck when picking the title for the story, just ask my partner _FeugoFox42_.

We wanted to have a title that sounds good yet also doesn't spoil anything too much.

At first, the title of the story is **A Furry Situation** , a nod to what inspired the story in the first place. But then I thought "Wait… I don't think people will like me putting 'furries' as a title of my story… they might get the wrong idea" and "Can't I just come up with my own title?"

The second and one of my personal favorites is **Mysteries and Monsters**. For a long while, _that's_ the title of this story. But then I realized how spoiler-y that title is and decided to change it - even if it sounds super cool.

 **Howling for Help** was also considered, but like the previous one, it just spoils everything too much.

There are loads of other titles FeugoFox42 and I have considered, but eventually, we settled on **The Truth and What Matters More** because it fits the overall theme of the story and it sounds poetic and I like it.

Though, small note here, if I was given the chance to change the title of the story… I would've chosen **The Beginning of Us** , simply because it sounds super cool and it's the words of how I chose to end the story.

 **Structure**

Another thing I wanted you all to take note of is this story's structure… or rather, the lack of it.

You see, when I was planning this story, I didn't _think_ it would go on for more than 6 chapters, and the story itself is simple in terms of conflict, so I used the simplest story structure there is:

Set the scene - Inciting incident - Raising the stakes - The main event - resolution.

Yup.

That is literally it.

There's this picture I have where it explains visually how to use the 5 beat storytelling effectively. Google "5 beats of storytelling by Ethos3" and the first thing that comes up should be it.

I _heavily_ based the entire story off of that when I started writing that story.

 **Set the scene:** I start to answer the 5W1H thing. I showed the audience what's going on, who's involved, yadah-yadah-yadah, all throughout Chapter 1 and 2. I also laid down the romance department as well as showed each character's motive and what would eventually break the bridge of Yang and Blake's relationship (temporarily, of course).

 **Inciting incident:** I introduce the protagonists' dilemma. Both Yang's and Blake's, also throughout Chapter 1 and 2. I wrapped it all up and really emphasized it on Chapter 3. I showed each character being vulnerable and flawed because, hey, they're not perfect. What I really want to emphasize is that they're _teenagers_ ; kids who are forced to act like adults. Sometimes when I read fanfictions, I just go "Hold up, I don't think I've ever heard any 17 years old I know talk and act like this! I don't think I've heard any adult talk and act like this!"

So yeah, even if they're both young adults, they're still adults. And it's a pet peeve of mine, reading kids my age talk like Shakespeare and act like James Bond. Like, no! Nada!

 **Raising the stakes:** Most of the story feels like it was set on this part of the structure, not that it's a bad thing. I walked through moments that help add context, build towards the climax, and I never forgot to describe what the characters are feeling. I got to be specific and took my sweet time building everything up, simply progressing things slowly but surely.

I used this time to slowly break both Yang and Blake, emotionally, mentally, hell, even physically! I wanted to really push my characters off the edge of the cliff to really give that sense of danger, I wanted there to be a real threat, the thought that "Oh, no… Will they be okay?"

I wanted to really break my characters… because otherwise, they won't be good characters. Just… look at any good book, or any book at all, in fact. You'll notice that all authors make characters suffer. It's just how the story goes. If your character doesn't get hurt, doesn't fail, doesn't get lost halfway, then… what's the point in rooting for them?

 **The main event:** The line that separates the end of the previous structure-point and the start of this point is blurred to me. But I will say that the main event, the real main event, has to be Yang and Blake's conversation when Yang found Blake in that alley.

I know, I know, how can a conversation be a main event of the story?! Especially when the story involves mad scientists and human-experiments and monsters and many more!

Look… The story does involve all of those things, I am fully aware, I am the author. But… at the very core, this is still a love story. And the characters' dilemma is them wondering if the other will ever love them back.

Bumblebee's conversation explains both of the characters' realization - the twist that everyone except them saw coming - and triggers the conclusion of the story.

Everything after this conversation is just… wrapping up the story. Slowly, satisfyingly wrapping up the story.

 **The resolution:** Well… what is there to say about the resolution? It's a resolution, an end to a story.

 **Yang's Little Arc**

Another thing I want to try out in this story is to write a character arc, a flaw or a problem that a character slowly overcomes. I chose to write Yang to be the one to have a character arc because I felt as though that Blake already has a character arc she finished; learning to trust in her teammates, learning to be a good friend, learning that she shouldn't be ashamed of her faunus heritage, blah-blah-blah.

Blake's arc has been done countless of times before by many other authors. It's just… it wouldn't feel that original.

So, why not choose Yang to have an arc instead?

The "ghost/lie" I have her be consumed by is the beliefs that everything's alright and that there's no reason for her to dwell on what happened that night at the Rogue Fang base.

But something is wrong, clearly. And at first, she chooses to turn a blind-eye on it, assuming that it's just Blake being her obsessive-self.

Deep down, she's always known that something is wrong, but she's still distraught by what she saw that she just blocks it all out.

Yang didn't want to admit it, but her trauma and fear of seeing Blake the way she was that night terrified her, and it's what made her act sort of douchey and angrier than usual.

Her not wanting to remember, not wanting to listen, not wanting to get involved is what eventually leads to Blake running away and trying (and failing) to deal with her problem all on her own.

Yang made a mistake.

I intentionally made her make a mistake, because she's not perfect.

And then I did my best to give her the push she needs so she can fix that mistake, and the rest of it… well… it all falls on her hands.

I think she finished her arc quite well, don't you think?

She did her best to fix everything, even using her brain despite herself thinking she's not smart enough to figure out everything. She pressed on. She… well… She did it, in the end! She pulled herself together, she buried her pain aside all to chase after Blake! She learns that she can't just not face a problem!

She went from "No! This is over! I don't want to hear any of this anymore!" to "No… This isn't over yet. We can't leave yet."

I've got to say, I'm proud of my baby dragon!

 **Supporting Roles**

The supporting roles in this story are more important than I first made them out to be, pleasantly so.

 **Glynda:** As I've said before, I chose to include her in the story because I simply disliked Ozpin. But the more I continued to write her into this story, the greater her role becomes. See, she's the only real "Adult" in this story. The rest are just impulsive kids - OC villains notwithstanding. And even she isn't fully able to handle the kind of dangers she's facing. She has a small role, but I like how Bumblebee adores her in one way or another and how she wants to protect them too.

 **WhiteRose:** Hoo, boy. At first, I didn't want to include them as a pairing, because, well, I didn't see any purpose they'd have that would move the plot. But then I sort of write and the characters kinda did their own thing and then, BAM! Purpose!

WhiteRose acts as a sort of guidance for Bumblebee, Yang specifically. You can tell by what little Weiss tells that they've finished their love story long before Bumblebee.

WhiteRose as a pairing might not move the plot forward, but it sure as hell gives Bumblebee the push they need to romance.

 **Weiss:** WhiteRose as a pairing and Weiss Schnee as an individual have differing roles.

One of the many choices I felt was right was having Weiss come with Yang instead of Ruby. And why I thought that was right is because…

Weiss doesn't take anyone's shit.

Yang's on the verge of breaking down. She's angry, we all know it. She was a mess before she even went to Junior's bar.

And someone needs to put her head back in the game, to be frank with her, to tell her "bruh. U need to chill." (pun intended).

If Ruby were there instead of Weiss…

She would've freaked out as well.

She wouldn't be that good at calming Yang down, she would be like "I know you're hurting, I'm sorry Yang, we'll fix everything…" And while that can benefit Yang… it's not what she needs - or rather deserves - to hear.

What Yang should hear is "You're a wreck" and "Remember that we're supposed to be finding Blake" and "You're not the only one that's in pain right now" and "You're supposed to be a huntress, fuckin' _act like it_ ".

And the only one who can say that is Weiss.

I also have her relate to Yang a bit on the romance department. Weiss used to be in Yang's place back before she and Ruby became more than partners in school, so she knows what to say to Yang and how to get her to snap out of it.

So, without Weiss, the story would've gone to an entirely different, angstier, darker route that may or may not end in Yang failing to meet Blake in time and Blake succumbing into the madness entirely, far too late for anyone to save her.

So, err… Thanks, Weiss!

(Is it weird that I'm thanking my own characters?

… Nah.)

 **Sun:** He's an amplifier. For Bumblebee's romance. He's there because it makes sense for him to be there in the timeline I'm working on. He doesn't actually appear in the story, but he is there. Yes, his purpose is small, but if he wasn't there, then it would've taken Yang a much longer time to realize what was happening.

… Yeah, he isn't all that important, really, but well, I feel like I was a little too rough on him and he deserves to be mentioned here.

 **How This Story Ends Up Being**

Originally, I wanted this to be a short story with around 20k-30k in total. I wanted this story to be suspenseful, and I want to be unforgiving to our main characters so that they can really grow.

I wanted this to be your average suspenseful, mysterious story.

It's almost bizarre how different the end-product is.

So… This story is… huge, in terms of chapters and characters and, well, everything. I didn't think I'd end up writing such a story like this.

This story includes so many elements, so many things that I feel like there's this sense of "messiness" to it - though I think this is just my personal feeling. This messiness, I believe, is just a result of the character's thoughts and mindset. The more the story progresses, the more they become anxious and scared and angry - rightfully so. So… of course, since I wrote the story from their POV, the writing itself would seem a little rough around the edges.

Overall, I'm… pretty happy with the story. I like that how, in the end, the story is about two teenagers being thrown into dangers they're not ready to face yet face anyway. Teenagers who try to deal with things in a seemingly responsible way. I personally can relate so much to Yang and Blake's dilemma in the story, seeing as how I myself am a teenager. I sincerely hope you all can relate to them too (not in the faunus-experiments and Rogue Fang bit, just in the romance department).

I wanted this to be your average story that goes down the average, almost predictable route… I ended up not being able to help myself and added my own "thing" to it. It ended up being… well… the kind of story I would've written, the kind of story I enjoyed writing so much.

I enjoyed writing this story. I think it's a great story, overall. Sure, there are probably many mistakes and errors, but… I still think it's great overall. It's not perfect, I know. But… it's great. At least, it's slightly better than the average fanfiction people love to read… I think.

This story challenged me to write things I normally don't want to write. It challenged me to be mean to my characters, otherwise, they won't grow. It challenged me not to write certain scenes that won't move the story forward - even if I really wanted to write those scenes.

This is one mess of a story… but I'm proud of it.

 **Cover Art 2.0 [FeugoFox42]**

 _This one's mine, so I'll take it from here. Just as a head's up, this is going to be a bit of a lengthy part, so strap in._

 _As mentioned in the A/N in Chapter XV, the new cover art of this pic is actually an original from myself. That's right, I art too._

 _Going off what had already been written at the time, I wanted to do something for Clementine for the piece, as a thank you of sorts. Even though Blake's Monster-self had already been described, that wasn't what I had in mind, so that's where I started._

 _Evil Me (because, c'mon - it's a_ _ **FOX**_ _Faunus, and Clementine literally told me when drafting Chapter II that it was supposed to be her way of including me into the story) was trying to make the Faunus he'd captured better, faster and stronger than before, so he created a Special Serum to do that._

 _When the first part of her transformation occurred, it was painful. She was frightened of what was happening to her, terrified even. But she fought hard to resist the changes, as involuntary and inevitable as they may be. Then, by the end, Blake had lost her fight and she became the beast in Chapter XV that Yang has to overcome. To me, that screamed "Werewolf", especially hearkening to the famous transformation scene in 'An American Werewolf in London'._

 _But unlike that one, where the beast is very much a hellish wolf, here I wanted to draw far more of a typical wolfman-esque beast - albeit being a pantherlady in lieu of any wolf or male included in the scenario._

 _The Beast was Bipedal as a result, as that could invoke far more of a terrifying and physically imposing monster than what was written, though the softer side would have been lost, so that's why I didn't push for what I drew at all - I'm only co-writer and beta, after all. I thought the look would further play into Evil Me's ideas of making something meant to be used against Huntsmen, and the idea that Blake had physically grown into this beast._

 _The bipedal monster look could also let me add more Blake-isms to the character model that would have been easily missed or would have looked right otherwise._

 _The eyes of the beast were mentioned to be the familiar shade of amber, but that was a given. But her hair, her eye shadow, her scar from Adam sword (that doesn't happen in this timeline, but it's a big part of her character I feel. I mean, it's why she has the scar, but Yang's still in her Beacon attire), all of them would have been missed or looked just completely out of place with a large panther instead._

 _Whilst I'm on the subject of Yang, I was stoked when her semblance made a comeback in Volume 6, Chapter 12. I actually finished this artwork about an hour before the chapter went live on FIRST, and sent it to Clementine and hour and a half after. That said, I had concepted it and began drawing last Tuesday, so I was really pleased to see how her hair looked and that I sort of got it right for this._

 _Of course, it was never going to be perfect - there were far more fire effects in the show proper like actual flames, burning embers flicker off her hair too and there's a heat haze above her head - but I wasn't going for full on "Super Saiyan" for her hair. Just glowing enough to illuminate her surroundings. Plus, if you're in a dark underground workspace with a Faunus - who can canonically see in the dark so well they outright won a battle against humans using this as an advantage - you need as much help as you can get. So, I always saw her taking a few hits to fuel the glow initially, then try and defeat Blake any other way from there._

 _That where the scratches on her gauntlets come from too. Not only is it written that Blake tears at the metal of Ember Celica in the story, it sort of happens in Volume 6, Chapter 11 too with Adam's attack against Yang._

 _Overall, the piece was super fun to draw, if a little time consuming - I spent six hours colouring the characters and shelves alone on Friday evening right up until 2 in the morning on Saturday. Time and time again I said to myself "this isn't one of my drawings" because of how different it looks to what I normally do. I am not complaining about that at all. To think how much I've grown as an artist is great, and I'm happy y'all get to see it here._

 **Last Words**

So. This story has ended? What now?

… Well, isn't it obvious, fangirls and fanboys?

I continue posting fan fictions! Because I love writing them!

Okay, okay. But seriously, though. Here's a little sneak peek for my next project~~

 **...**

She was a SCHN33.

The most expensive model on the market.

And rightly so; she was the only one of her kind.

Why the humans didn't want to mass-produce more of her model, she didn't know.

She predicted it was either because her model was just too expensive to mass-produce, or it was some way for the seller-humans to market their product as a one-of-a-kind commodity to the human buyers, like an antique piece of pottery, or a centuries-old painting.

Only, she was the opposite of old. She was, in fact, the newest model of android created to date.

Her purpose? A personal ornament for humans to show their high status. A way for humans to show that they were indeed wealthy; wealthy enough to buy the most expensive model of Cyberlife. Like jewelry of sorts.

Only, unlike jewelry, she wasn't useless. If ordered to, she could complete any task; singing, answering any and all questions posed to her, and perhaps even fencing if her owner demanded it.

But she didn't have an owner. Yet.

So for now, her task was to simply stand and, as the selling-human said, 'look pretty'. That was her current Primary Directive: 'Look Pretty'.

It was a relatively simple task, one given to her by her creator and one that only those with clearance could deem fulfilled. She'd stand and give a smile at the customers who walked in and look at her, though most of them never even considered buying her. From the looks of it, all they did was admiring her and examining her, like an art piece from a museum.

It didn't surprise her. She was the newest, most expensive model, and she was designed to be flawless. Her skin was smooth and white like that of a porcelain doll. Her hair was snow white, tied in a perfectly-centered ponytail.

There was not a single scar marring her features.

 **…**

Can you wait?

'Cuz I can't.


End file.
